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A guest at the campfire. 


( Frontispiece ) 











THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

AT 

LOG CABIN BEND 

OR 

Four Chums Afoot in the Tall Timber 


OLIVER LEE CLIFTON 

AUTHOR OP “CAMP FIRE BOYS IN’ MUSKRAT 
SWAMP,” “CAMP FIRE BOYS AT SILVER 
FOX FARM,” ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED BY 

CHARLES L. WRENN 


PUBLISHERS 

BARSE & HOPKINS 

NEW YORK, N. Y. NEWARK, N. J. 



Copyright, 1923 

By Basse & Hopkins 


PRINTED IN THE U. S. A, 


APR-7 *23 


©Cl A698805 

I 


CONTENTS 


•HAPTBE PAGE 

I. At Nightfall in the Big Woods . 9 

II. The First Campfire . . . . . 17 

III. The Chum Beloved . 28 

IV. Unexpected Visitors .... 39 

V. All Busy as Beavers .... 47 

VI. The Events of a Day . . . l#J 56 

VII. The Climber of the Beech Tree . 66 

VTII. Amos's Strange Actions ... 77 

IX. The Right Kind of Pals ... 86 

X. Amos Decides ... . . . . .96 

XI. Clearing Skies.105 

XII. Setting the Trap . . . . . . 114 

XIII. The Awakening of Perk . . . 123 

XIV. A Stirring Night Ahead . . . 133 

XV. Caught in the Storm .... 140 

XVI. Where Woodcraft Pays . t ., . 149 

XVII. A Gtuest at the Campfire . . . 158 

XVIII. Elmer Has a Plan . . . . 165 

XIX. The Long, Long Night .... 175 

v 











vi CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XX. Once Moke on the Trail LfJ • tw 184 

XXI. “Toot—Toot—T-o-oot!” . . 193 

XXII. Not So Slow, After All . ... 200 

XXIII. What Perk Did t .i 210 


XXIV. When the Sun Broke Through . 217 
XXV. Back at the Cabin Again . . . 229 

XXVI. Looking Forward—Conclusion ... 237 




ILLUSTRATIONS 

A guest at the campfire . . . Frontispiece 

PAGE 

“A whopping big cat, for a fact!” ... 19 

His method of descending the tree was ex¬ 
ceedingly clumsy . . ,.j . . . .71 
Mr. Codling found the litter much more 
comfortable . ... 245 


vii 





THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 
AT LOG CABIN BEND 

CHAPTER I 

AT NIGHTFALL IN THE BIG WOODS 

“How far have we hiked, Elmer, would you 
say?” 

“About twelve miles, at a rough guess, Perk.” 

“Huh! then we ought to be close to the ford, 
where this old river road crosses to the east shore 
of the Beaverkill, eh, Elmer?” 

“If you listen carefully, Perk, you’ll hear the 
gurgle of the water among the stepping-stones 
that lie at the upper edge of Galloway’s Ford.” 

“That’s a fact; and say, I might have noticed 
it before now, only I was so busy watching some 
honey-bees working in the wild flowers alongside 
the road, and wondering if we’d be lucky enough 
to run across their hive, away up in the top of 
some hollow tree. Wow! the very idea makes 
my mouth water.” 


9 


lo THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

“Well, once across the river and we’ll have 
about four miles more to tramp before we can 
pitch camp; is that O.K., Elmer?” 

“A close guess for you, Wee Willie; but over 
a rough trail instead of this fairly decent road. 
Above the ford on this side there’s just a tote- 
road leading up to Si. Keck’s deserted lumber 
camp that lies, you remember, on the edge of 
Muskrat Swamp. This road crosses to the other 
side, and runs to Crawford Notch, ten miles 
away. ’ ’ 

“Huh!” 

The chap who uttered this last exclamation half 
belligerently was what you might call a “horrible 
example” of the folly often displayed by boys 
when clapping a “nick-name” on some unsuspect¬ 
ing comrade. 

Really “Wee Willie” was a full head taller 
than any one of his three chums, having possibly 
“shot up” overnight when about fourteen, as 
often happens—he was three years past that age 
now. 

Perhaps at one time young Winkleman may 
have seemed puny and undersized, so that he 
really merited the queer sobriquet his mates had 
fastened upon him. But nowadays it seemed ab- 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


11 


solutely ridiculous, and few ever used it save when 
accompanied by a whimsical grin that must have 
become exceedingly annoying to the tall, angular, 
sandy-haired and freckled youth; more especially 
since he had of late been taking girls to country 
barn-dances. 

The boy named “Perk,” really Aloysius Green 
Perkins, a rosy-faced, genial-looking, and alto¬ 
gether wholesome chap, whom everybody liked, 
once more spoke up. He was wheezing, being a 
bit stout of build, and frequently mopped his face 
with a suspiciously dingy-looking red bandanna; 
for the summer day had been rather warm, and 
each fellow carried quite a weighty pack on his 
back. 

“I’m more than sorry I kept you waiting for 
me, because I wanted to see my dad when his 
train came in; but I had an important message for 
him, you know. So I guess it’s my fault if we 
have to make the last lap of our big hike after 
night sets in.” 

“We should worry a whole lot about that!” 
disdainfully chortled the tall tramper. “Here’s 
Elmer got his fine pocket flashlight along; and 
besides, if we feel like it we can hold up a bit, and 
wait for the old moon to come along. She’s due 


12 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


shortly after dark sets in, you remember, fellows, 
being just past the full stage /’ 

“You’ve said it, Wee Willie,” remarked Elmer; 
“and we ought to be good for a few more miles/’ 

“Huh!” grunted the tall chap, just as before, as 
though the mention of that name grated on his 
nerves. 

“Sure thing,” assented Perk, sturdily, though 
at the time it is possible his plump lower limbs 
were feeling more or less “wobbly” under him. 

“Here’s the ford, and now to cross over,” re¬ 
marked the fourth member of the party, Amos 
Codling by name, who was rather a newcomer in 
Chester; though ever since his advent, some six 
months previous, he and Elmer Kitching had been 
fast friends after a sort of David and Jonathan 
fashion. 

The Beaverkill was not at a high stage, owing 
to summer droughts, but made up for this by 
being unusually noisy at the point where its 
waters ran past the “stepping stones,” forming 
eddies, and pools of foam-crested water. 

The four chums proceeded to cross over. As 
a rule they were nimblefooted, and found little 
trouble in springing from rock to rock. Once, 
however, fat Perk came near slipping into the 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


13 


“drink,’’ when he made a little miscalculation. 
However, it happened that wise Elmer had been 
‘ 4 keeping tabs ’’ on the movements of the other, 
and managed to throw out a helping hand just in 
the nick of time. 

So at last they reached the other shore. Perk 
was heard to draw a long breath as of real relief; 
for he believed he had just had a narrow escape 
from taking an involuntary bath, in which his 
pack must have been thoroughly soaked as well as 
himself. 

“Now we leave the Crawford Notch road, and 
take to the trail that leads to Log Cabin Bend 
above here , 9 9 announced Elmer, who seemed to be 
looked upon as a leader among his mates. 

“I reckon now this might be your old trail,” 
mentioned Wee Willie, as he pointed indifferently 
down at his feet. 

Elmer agreed with him, for the “signs” were 
all there. And so without wasting any time in 
argument they started off in single file, with Perk 
fetching up the rear. 

Already the sun was low down, and night could 
not be far distant. The trees up in this region 
were unusually tall, for the lumberman had not 
as yet attacked the eastern side of the Beaverkill. 


14 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


4 ‘Say, let me tell you, it’s going to be some 
gloomy around here pretty soon,” observed the 
tall boy, after they had been tramping in this 
fashion for at least fifteen minutes, keeping up 
quite a lively pace. 

Amos sighed, as though he might be carrying 
a little more than his share of boyish troubles 
himself; at which Elmer half turned his head to 
glance uneasily at his chum; doubtless wonder¬ 
ing what it could be that of late was making the 
other seem so heavy-hearted. 

They continued to plunge along, Elmer setting 
the pace. Already tw^o of the four miles had been 
left behind them, a fact that Perk heard the 
leader state with much joy, though he only 
grunted in his peculiar way. 

“Hope you don’t lose touch with this blinky 
old trail, Elmer,” suggested Wee Willie, appar¬ 
ently with a motive in view. 

“That would be pretty tough on us, for a fact,” 
chuckled the other; “and as it’s getting to be 
something of a strain on my eyes to pick my way, 
I reckon it’s time we had a little artificial help . 9 9 

With that there immediately sprang into ex¬ 
istence a glow from his electric flashlight that 
brightly illuminated the forest ahead. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


15 


“That's the ticket!" ejaculated the relieved 
Perk as they continued to move along their way, 
winding in among the aisles of the tall timber, but 
in the main keeping toward the north. 

“I understand there's some sort of queer his¬ 
tory connected with this old abandoned cabin at 
the big bend of the river; do you happen to know 
anything about it, Elmer?" asked Amos, pres¬ 
ently. 

“Oh! I've heard some strange things about it," 
came the quick reply; “but I'm not feeling just in 
the humor to mention any of the same right now. 
They'll keep until some evening, when we’re sit¬ 
ting around the fire, and spinning yarns." 

“Some of them are just awful," Perk was 
heard remarking from a little distance in the rear, 
for at times he seemed to lag more or less; “but 
of course I never take much stock in such old 
women stories." 

“All the same there was some sort of tragedy 
took place—" began Wee Willie, when Elmer 
stopped him short by saying: 

“Drop that, old fellow; we said we'd avoid any 
and all unpleasant subjects for to-night, when all 
of us are feeling a bit tired and grumpy. Let’s 
figure out what sort of supper we'd enjoy most 


16 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


when we arrive. I always look forward to the 
first meal in camp.” 

44 And the next one, too,” sighed Perk. 

That started them on a congenial topic always 
deeply absorbing to healthy and hungry lads; and 
they continued to lay out a program which, had it 
been carried through in its entirety, must have 
made serious inroads in the limited stock of pro¬ 
visions carried on their backs. 

Later on they relapsed into silence again, being 
pretty well worn out and in need of refreshment. 
It was about this time that all of them received a 
sudden rude shock when there came a savage 
snarl; and as Elmer threw his light to the quarter 
whence came the significant sound they dis¬ 
covered a crouching figure on the low limb of a 
tree under which the winding trail to Log Cabin 
Bend apparently ran. 


CHAPTER II 


THE FIRST CAMPFIRE! 

“Oh! what’s that?” gasped Perk. 

“Stand perfectly still, everybody, or he may 
jump at us!” commanded the leader. 

“A whopping big cat, for a fact!” muttered 
"Wee Willie, fumbling about his waist, where he 
usually carried a homely so-called “hunting 
knife” in a leather sheath, when on the hike. 

‘ i See his yellow and green eyes, will you!’ 9 mut¬ 
tered Amos. “He acts as if as mad as hops be¬ 
cause we came along. What ails him, do you 
think, Elmer?” 

“I couldn’t say,” replied the other, softly, “un¬ 
less this one happens to be a mother cat, with 
kits somewhere close by. They say such a var¬ 
mint is always doubly dangerous to a man in the 
woods, especially after nightfall sets in.” 

“What’ll we do about it—back out?” came in 
Perk’s quavering voice. 

“I’d hate to do that, for fear of losing the 
trail,” said Elmer. 


1 7 


18 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“But we’d get clawed up something fierce, 
wouldn’t we, if it came to a fight with the savage 
critter? Just listen to the snarls, will you?” the 
stout boy went on to say. 

“Hold on!” suddenly remarked Amos; “leave 
it all to me, and I think I can do the business. 
Just keep quiet for a minute or so, and then see 
what’s going to happen. ’ ’ 

He was heard fumbling with some of the stuff 
he carried. 

“You haven’t got a gun along now, have you, 
Amos?” asked Perk, with possible visions of a 
wounded wildcat charging them, and committing 
more or less scratching and biting before giving 
up the ghost. 

“Something a heap better’n that,” panted 
Amos, himself excited for fear the enraged beast 
might leap before he got his plans ready for carry¬ 
ing out. “There, now I’ve got the thing loose; 
give me just time enough to put a cartridge in 
place. Don’t be startled, fellows, when I pull 
the trigger. It’s my camera flashlight I’m 
going to work on the old rascal. Steady now!” 

“ Oh! ” gasped Perk, comprehendingly. 

Even as he made this sound there came a daz¬ 
zling flare that caused every one to blink as if 



“A whopping big cat, for a fact!” 


i 












*• 
























AT LOG CABIN BEND 21 

half blinded; indeed, a flash of lightning could 
not have had a more startling effect. 

“He jumped!” cried Perk, “but away from us! 
you certainly gave him the scare of his life, Amos, 
with your bully camera outfit. Let’s be pushing 
along, boys; somehow I don’t quite like this sec¬ 
tion of woods very much.” 

No one made any objection, and so the march 
was resumed. It might have been noticed, how¬ 
ever, that Perk made it a point not to lag behind. 
He was continually imagining he saw crouching 
figures on many a low hanging limb when Elmer’s 
light moved this way and that. 

So they proceeded until finally Elmer an¬ 
nounced that according to his belief they were 
close to their destination. 

“Thank you for saying that, Elmer,” remarked 
Perk, whole-heartedly, as if he had never listened 
to more delightful words. 

“Yes, here’s the river on our left,” added Wee 
Willie, encouragingly; “and it looks to me as if 
we might be rounding the bend right now.” 

“Just what we are,” affirmed Amos. “A bit 
back we were heading due east, and now our 
course is almost north.” 

“Well, there’s the old moon going peeking up 


22 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


on the right,’’ Perk commented, cheerily. “I 
can’t remember a time I felt happier to glimpse 
her smiling face. I’m tired of seeing things 
lying in wait for us. Ugh!” 

Indeed, all of them felt somewhat the same way, 
so that when the moon was discovered through 
the aisles of the forest her appearance was 
greeted joyfully. 

“Keep your eyes on the lookout for any signs 
of the old cabin, ’ ’ Elmer warned his three chums. 
“It would be a joke on us if we went past without 
discovering it. But I’ve a notion this dim trail 
ought to lead straight to the door.” 

Accordingly four pairs of eager eyes kept on 
the alert every minute of the time, and presently 
Wee Willie, who possessed remarkably keen 
vision, made an eager announcement. 

“There, over a little to the left—I’m sure it 
must be a shack under that big tree! ” he hastened 
to say. 

“Something moved just then; didn’t you see it 
slip away?” Perk added in a thrilling whisper. 

“You’re still dreaming of cats by the whole¬ 
sale, Perk!” chided the tall chum, disdainfully. 

“It was something that seemed to double over, 
and disappear back in the shadows!” sturdily de- 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


23 


dared the stout boy; ‘ ‘ mebbe only a dog, though!’ 9 

“And what would any dog be doing away up 
here!” demanded Wee Willie. 

“Well, I’ve heard of wild dogs, that have run 
away from some farm, and taken to living like their 
ancestors did by the chase,” Perk maintained. 

“You only imagined you saw something, so for¬ 
get it, please,” the other assured him. “Now, 
here’s the cabin, let’s see what she looks like, 
Elmer!” 

By making good use of his little hand torch 
the leader was able to do as requested. They 
all stared eagerly, and then Wee Willie gave vent 
to a grunt of disappointment. 

“Hull! a rickety old shack it is, believe me, 
boys!” he grumbled. “The door hangs on one 
rusty hinge; and it looks to me as if the roof might 
be as full of holes as a housewife’s sieve. Say, 
just imagine a bally storm hitting us when cooped 
up in this rotten crib! We’d get soaked to the 
bone, chances are. I think we’d be sensible to 
make a brush shanty. Besides, now, I wouldn’t 
be surprised if the old cabin was haunted.” 

“Oh! what makes you believe so!” demanded 
the thrilled Perk, his thoughts possibly flying 
back to the flitting shadow he believed he had de- 


24 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

tected at the time of their arrival on the scene. 

‘ 4 Never mind what he says, Perk,” soothed 
Elmer. “Here’s the cabin, and if it is rather 
dilapidated, what’s to hinder our mending the roof 
to-morrow, I’d like to know? Not much sign of 
rain to-night, as far as I can see.” 

“It’s all right, boys,” Amos now went on to 
say, cheerily; “let’s go inside and get shut of 
these pesky packs. My shoulders feel raw from 
carrying such a load for miles and miles. Mine 
must weigh twice as much as when we started 
out. ’ ’ 

“Oh, easily four times that,” chanted Perk, 
eagerly. “There’s one good thing, though, they’ll 
be heaps and heaps lighter going back home. ’ ’ 

“Sure thing, if your appetite is what it’s 
usually been, Perk,” chuckled Wee Willie, as he 
pushed after Elmer, who had started to enter the 
abandoned cabin. 

“Drop the things here, and let’s get a fire 
started as soon as we can,” suggested Elmer. 

“Indoors or out?” demanded Wee Willie, as 
though by rights he took that order on his shoul¬ 
ders ; for it happened that he had long been known 
as a veritable “crank” when it came to building 
fires, and could manage to accomplish this result 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 25 

without the use of matches in half a dozen differ¬ 
ent ways, some of them really wonderful. 

“Outside for this time might be better, as the 
night is so warm, and we don’t want to take 
chances of burning our shelter down about our 
ears,” he was told. 

That was enough for the tall chum, who tossing 
down his pack borrowed Elmer’s hand torch so 
as to be able to gather some wood, and passing out, 
proceeded to business. Perk pulled out a frag¬ 
ment of a candle, purloined from home, which he 
lighted, and set on the gaping hearth. 

“It isn’t much of a glim, but better than noth¬ 
ing at all,” he hastened to say in apology. “I 
always carry some fag-ends of candles when I’m 
out camping; you never know when you’ll need 
such things in a hurry. Whew! so this is the 
shack that gave the place the name of Log Cabin 
Bend? You c’n see the stars through the holes in 
the roof, for a fact.” 

“We’ll mend that in the morning, Perk, so quit 
poking fun at our palatial abode,” chided Amos. 
“And if you asked me, I’d say there’s no appar¬ 
ent reason why we shouldn’t make ourselves 
mighty comfy here, given a little time, and some 
elbow grease.” 


26 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


Already had the fire-maker managed to start 
his blaze, though likely enough he did not scorn 
to make use of a plain everyday match on this 
special occasion, knowing it was hardly the time 
for any “fiddling’’ with tedious methods of in¬ 
ducing a spark, coaxed into being by means of 
flint and steel, or some other aboriginal method 
of procedure. 

As the flames leaped up, seizing on the dry wood 
Wee Willie had arranged so cleverly, the glow 
attracted the others, who came trooping out, show¬ 
ing by their actions how pleased they were to be 
finally free from their burdens. 

‘ ‘ The first campfire for this outing!’ 9 remarked 
Perk, his round face aglow, while his eyes sparkled 
with satisfaction. “And how long will it be be¬ 
fore your fire is fit for cooking over, Wee Willie ! 99 

The other gave him a queer look, and seemed 
on the point of saying something sharp, but re¬ 
strained himself. 

“Right soon, so you might as well be getting 
the ham and eggs and coffee out of the packs, fel¬ 
lows. Say, I’m as hungry as a homeless dog; so 
be sure you cook double rations, Perk.” 

“Leave that to me,” chuckled the other, ambling 
back inside the cabin in order to round up the 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 27 

necessary cooking implements and then root out 
the ingredients of the first meal in camp. 

Elmer walked about meanwhile as though in¬ 
vestigating the surroundings, so as to figure on 
what they would find it necessary to do in order 
to make the old shack habitable. Several times 
Wee Willie glanced toward the other as though 
he might have something on his mind. Finally he 
arose from his knees and joined Elmer. 

“Noticed you sniffing like you suspected there 
might be a skunk in the offing ?” he finally re¬ 
marked. “Fact is, I thought myself there was a 
queer kind of odor around here, inside the cabin 
in particular.’’ 

“That’s the idea I had,” assented Elme*^ 
softly, “but this isn’t anything in the line of a 
polecat; if you asked me I’d say it was some sort 
of villainous tobacco, such as a tramp might pick 
up in a wayside field, and smoke in his pipe as he 
lay around after his supper!” 

“By George, fellows! there goes somebody 
now! I’m sure I saw him this time!” said Perk 
excitedly, coming through the door and pointing 
through a dusky lane of trees. “Now tell me 
again that I am only imagining things!” 


CHAPTER III 


THE CHUM BELOVED 

After all Elmer’s effort to keep his voice down 
when talking to the tall chum, Perk had heard 
what was said. He happened to be coming out of 
the door just at that moment, as luck would have 
it, and so caught the full significance of the re¬ 
mark. But try as they might, no one else saw 
the lurking figure he again pointed out. 

“I guess you score, Perk,” admitted the one 
addressed, for whatever Wee Willie had in the 
way of faults, and he was not by any means per¬ 
fect, he never failed to make amends when an 
occasion arose for it. 

4 ‘What’s all the talk about, I want to know?” 
demanded Amos, showing up just then, and with 
all a natural boy’s curiosity aroused. 

“Why, Elmer was just saying, and I agreed 
with him,” explained the tall pal, “that there 
was an odor of stale tobacco smoke hanging 
around this old cabin. He thinks it may have been 
some wandering tramp who put up here for the 
night.” 

“But,” interposed Perk, “why should he skip 

28 


29 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

out so quick when he heard us coming along the 
trail, or else caught the glimmer of Elmer’s 
torch! You’d think the poor chap’d feel mighty 
lonely, away off the beaten track of his kind, and 
be glad of our company.” 

“Which remark shows how little you know of 
the hobo tribe in general,” chuckled the angular 
boy. “Most of the Weary Willies are born 
thieves, and only want a chance to steal to let 
themselves out.” 

“Many are, anyhow,” admitted the more con¬ 
servative Elmer, “and for all we know, this fellow 
has done something that makes him afraid of 
officers of the Law.” 

“But he may come back again!” hazarded 
Perk, dubiously, a cloud beginning to gather upon 
his forehead, as though some of his expectations 
of a carefree holiday had received a sudden and 
unexpected backset. 

“That’s true enough for you, Perk,” agreed the 
grinning Wee Willie; “but take my word for it, 
if he does it’ll not be to make our acquaintance.” 

“What then!” asked the other, quickly, looking 
worried still. 

“Oh! I reckon tramps have ferocious appetites, 
and get good and hungry,” continued the tall 


30 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

chum; “and if lie hangs around for a bit he’ll 
smell our jolly supper cooking, which ought to 
make him well-nigh frantic.” 

1 ‘ Then you mean he may sneak back here during 
the night, with the idea of stealing some of our 
grub; is that it?” questioned Perk, his anxiety 
taking a new turn. 

“It wouldn’t surprise me much if he did,” 
coolly observed Wee Willie. 

“But you’re only guessing it was a tramp,” 
said Amos just then. 

“Why, yes, that’s a fact,” admitted Elmer. 
“To be sure the man might be something entirely 
different from a hobo.” 

“As what, Elmer?” asked Perk. 

“Oh! there are a number of answers to your 
question, Perk,” the leader informed him. “For 
instance, this chap might be some fugitive from 
justice who had broken jail, and was in hiding.” 

“Yes, or even a lunatic at large,” continued 
Wee Willie, perhaps amused to see how eagerly 
the other was swallowing all these suggestions; 
“for we happen to know such a thing did happen 
once, years back; for the State Asylum for the 
Insane is located not much more’n twenty miles 
northeast of our home town of Chester.” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


31 


“Then there might be another explanation for 
his being here,” spoke up Amos. “I chanced to 
be talking with the head game warden only a 
week back, and he told me he had never known 
the game poachers so daring as this season. They 
have shot deer, snared partridge and rabbits out 
of season, and laid illegal set-lines for black bass 
in some of the best lakes of the county.” 

“Yes,” Elmer added, thoughtfully, “it might 
be one of those bold game hogs who didn’t want 
to be seen up here, where he really had no right 
to be. But why bother our heads so about the 
fellow? He’s skipped out, and the chances are 
we’ll never glimpse hide nor hair of him again. 
Perk was the only one who got a peep at the 
slippery rascal.” 

Accordingly the subject was dropped, for the 
time being at any rate; but Perk looked unusually 
grave as he proceeded to get supper, as though 
creeping, mysterious men kept looming up before 
his mental vision. 

Indeed, doubtless the little mystery connected 
with the strange actions of the unknown would 
give each one of the boys cause for more or less 
reflection, and vague speculation. 

The supper was voted a great success. Perk 


32 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


prided himself on his ability as a cook; and since 
the others usually commended his efforts to the 
skies he almost always insisted on doing the lion’s 
share of this work; to which of course no one ob¬ 
jected in the least. 

The sliced ham was browned to a nicety, the 
eggs, carefully packed so as not to be broken in 
transit, were “turned” or not, to suit the individ¬ 
ual taste of each fellow; the coffee seemed like 
ambrosia, so fragrant and cheering did it appear; 
while the home-made bread, with genuine butter 
for a spread, added much to the enjoyment of 
their first meal in camp. 

These four lads of Chester had been accustomed 
to similar outings during the summer holidays, 
and thus banded together called themselves the 
“Camp Fire Boys,” a name that seemed to pos¬ 
sess a certain charm in their eyes as it was bound 
always to recall the jolly times they had when 
camping out in company. 

Elmer Kitching had always possessed an ardent 
love for everything connected with the Great Out¬ 
doors. He came by this nature honestly, for his 
father in his day had been a well-known naturalist, 
whom such famous men as Teddy Roosevelt him¬ 
self, John Burroughs, and others along the same 


33 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

line had been glad to consult when preparing ar¬ 
ticles for publication, in order to verify their own 
observations concerning animated nature. 

His mother, now a widow, was comfortably well 
off, and Elmer had a young sister at home by the 
name of Rebecca. 

Amos Codling lived with his mother and three 
younger children. They had not mingled very 
much with other folks since coming to Chester; 
the widow returned no calls, and seemed content 
to look after her family. Some were inclined to 
think this rather strange; but by degrees it be¬ 
came the conviction of her neighbors that she 
must have seen great trouble, and shrank from 
contact with the rough world. Her children were 
always well dressed, and bright in school; but 
even the town gossips could find out next to noth¬ 
ing about the previous history of the Codling 
family, save that they came from a big city. 

Wee Willie Winkleman was the son of the 
owner of the finest motion picture theater in 
Chester. As has been stated before, his prevail¬ 
ing passion was the ambition to discover new and 
novel methods of making fires without the use of 
matches. That had become such a “fad ” with the 
tall chum that he even dreamed about it, and had 


34 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


been known to get np in the middle of the night 
to try out some queer scheme which had visited 
him in his sleep. 

Perk, the beloved pal, was famous for his ami¬ 
able disposition. Few fellows had ever seen him 
show a trace of anger. Indeed, his beaming smile 
could, the boys claimed, melt the flinty heart of 
almost any farmer around town; though this rule 
had its exceptions. Perk was frequently in trou¬ 
ble; likewise rosy-cheeked, and guileless, he was 
also addicted to straying from beaten paths in the 
woods, and getting lost; but never from the truth, 
since his word was as good as most fellows’ bond. 
His father was a railroad engineer, and likewise 
rather ponderous of build. 

As the evening crept along, Wee Willie every 
once in a while might have been noticed glancing 
sharply in the direction of Amos. It struck him 
that the other was acting unusually nervous, for 
he would get up and walk around for a minute 
or two, and then again throw himself down. 

“Something must be bothering Amos, that’s 
dead sure, ’ 9 the tall chum told himself; and at the 
same time determined to speak of the fact to 
Elmer if a chance offered. 

He had never been quite as close to Amos as 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


35 


Elmer, though for that matter it was extremely 
doubtful if even the latter had been taken into 
the confidence of the Codling boy, who knew how 
to keep a “close mouth,’’ as Wee Willie called it. 

“Still, it may be he’s eaten too much supper, 
and his digestion is troubling him, ’ ’ was the final 
conclusion Wee Willie reached. 

They sat around for some time, talking after 
their habit. It was hard to realize that they were 
all of sixteen miles from home, and surrounded 
by the primeval forest, up there in the Tall Tim¬ 
ber, as that belt of the big wilderness was known. 

“This just suits me to a dot,” Wee Willie said 
for the fourth time as he poked at the fire, and 
sighed with complete happiness. “Guess I was 
just born to be a tramp, and make fires across 
the whole Continent, I love to hear the crackle of 
the flames so much.” 

“I’m really concerned about you sometimes, 
Wee Willie,” said Elmer, pretending to look 
serious, though the sparkle in his gray eyes belied 
his words and manner. “If this craze for fires 
keeps up you’ll be tempted to run with the ma¬ 
chine; and then when there’s a slacking up of 
business set a few haystacks ablaze just to keep 
your hand in.” 


36 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

“Not much I will,” retorted the other. “My 
fad is in inventing new and novel ways for 
creating fires. I consider a good Jblaze man’s best 
friend, when held in hand; let it break away, and 
I own up it may become his worst enemy. All good 
things can be abused, remember, and fire isn’t 
an exception to the general rule.” 

“About time we looked after our beds, isn’t 
it?” asked Perk, accompanying his words with 
a tremendous yawn. 

“Oh! that isn’t going to take much time,” 
scoffed Wee Willie, “seeing how we all share 
alike. It’s a hard bed for to-night, on the floor 
of the cabin. To-morrow we’ll hunt for hemlock 
browse, and ease things up. I’m the one who 
will suffer most, because my bones stick out so, 
without pads, like Perk here carries around with 
him.” 

Amidst considerable merriment they soon laid 
out their double camping blankets, of a gray or 
dun color as most suitable for the purpose, and 
“less liable to show dirt spots,” as Perk always 
slyly claimed. 

“It’s good night boys for me,” that individual 
was saying, as he stripped off his coat, kicked his 
shoes into a corner and commenced to crawl un- 


AT LOG CABIN" BEND 


37 


der his warm woolen cover. “Say, this feels just 
great; you fellows’d better make up your minds 
to follow my example, and turn in.’ ’ 

He was sound asleep in less than ten minutes, 
when the others were ready to seek cover. Wee 
Willie stared down at his round moonlike face, 
and nodded his head as he turned to Elmer and 
Amos to say softly: 

“Looks like a sweet cherub lying there, with 
such a happy smile on his mug. No use talking, 
Perk is the best-natured chap in seven counties. 
I ? ve been mean enough more’n a few times to try 
my level best to make him mad, but had to give 
it up; he just looked at me, and kept on smiling 
until I had to turn and walk away bested; bless 
his big heart!’ ’ 

Elmer nodded in approval of these words of 
appreciation, and Amos too showed that he 
echoed the sentiments expressed by the tall chum. 

“I’ve known a lot of fellows,” he went on to 
say, “but never his like. If all boys were built 
like good old Perk there’d be a heap less trouble 
in this world. I know I’d have been saved more 
or less suffering myself.” 

Wee Willie looked quickly at the speaker, as 
though he half expected Amos to take them into 


38 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


his confidence; but instead the other simply bent 
down and started to push his extremities under 
his blanket. 

The fire still burned without, and although the 
door was closed, Perk having succeeded in fast¬ 
ening it with a piece of stout rope, through innu¬ 
merable apertures the flickering glow stole, mak¬ 
ing queer pictures on the wall beyond, that came 
and went like phantom drawings. 

Elmer lay there and watched them for some 
time, his thoughts far afield, possibly in his 
Chester home with the dear ones there. Gradu¬ 
ally his eyes closed and he lost track of even these 
precious ties in restful slumber. 

Time passed by, several hours elapsing, when 
Elmer suddenly sat half-way up. Surely he had 
heard the yapping of a dog somewhere near by. 
This not only interested him but aroused an irn* 
tense curiosity. Then he noticed that both Wee 
Willie and Amos also gave signs of being awake. 

Now voices could be heard. They were heavy 
tones that came to Elmer’s ears, as of mature 
men. Crunching footsteps followed, then a loud 
pounding, 

44 Open up here!” boomed a voice, followed by 
further sonorous knocks. 


CHAPTER IV 


•UNEXPECTED VISITORS 

“ All right, dad; Pinup!” 

That was Perk, who, aroused so suddenly by 
the racket doubtless imagined himself at home 
in his own bed, with his father rapping on the 
wall when the son indulged in his favorite habit of 
oversleeping mornings. 

Elmer, Amos and Wee Willie were already on 
deck, having jumped to their feet in a hurry. The 
gruff voice seemed to be one invested with some 
degree of authority; it struck them all “in a 
heap,” as the tall chum afterwards described the 
sudden awakening. 

Again came that loud thumping on the quiver¬ 
ing door. 

“Hurry up and open, do you hear?” rasped the 
voice, now with a touch of anger in the tones. 
“Don’t think you can escape, because we’ve got 
you cornered like a rat. Better be sensible, and 
go back with us! ” 

“Oh! my stars! who is it, and what does he 
mean?” gasped Perk, realizing at last that things 


39 


40 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

were quite different from what he had at first 
imagined. 

Perk was really responsible for the fastened 
door. He had in his timidity pictured the frowsy 
tramp creeping back when they were all fast 
asleep, and perhaps almost cleaning out their 
limited supply of provisions, thus bringing the 
glorious camping trip to an untimely end; since 
four healthy boys could not be expected to stay up 
in the woods without sufficient “grub” to keep 
the wolf from the door. 

So he had managed to make a shift with a piece 
of clothes-line (which was likely to be searched 
for in vain at home when next washday came 
along), securing the door so that it could not be 
opened from without unless by a display of ex¬ 
treme violence. 

Elmer was by now across the cabin. He touched 
the planks of which the door was composed, to 
find them still quivering under the impact of the 
unknown party’s knuckles. 

“Wait a minute, and we’ll open up; the door 
is fastened, don’t you understand? Hold your 
horses, Mister; I’m undoing it right now!” he 
called out. 

Immediately he caught the sound of voices 
again just beyond. Evidently the men, whoever 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


41 


they might turn out to be, seemed astonished at 
something, perhaps disappointed in the bargain. 
Once more there also came to the ears of the boys 
the eager whining of a dog. Elmer imagined that 
this animal might have been partly responsible 
for the visit of these midnight prowlers 

Perk gave a low cry as the door suddenly swung 
back under Elmer ’s push. The moon was shining 
brightly, and standing there in its mellow glow 
were two stalwart figures and a hound. The first 
thing Perk noticed was the fact that both men 
were garbed in some sort of uniform, with caps 
that bordered on the military. 

Meanwhile the two men were bending forward 
and looking at the youthful group that filled the 
doorway of the cabin. One of them gave a grunt, 
and followed this with a scornful laugh that grated 
on the nerves like a file. 

“ There you are, Collins, with all your being 
so sure we’d find the tricky chap located here, 
just because his trail headed this way. Sold again, 
Elihu, and off the scent once more! Now per¬ 
haps you ’ll pay some attention to my plan of cam¬ 
paign, since yours has petered out so flat.’ ’ 

The other man continued to stare at Elmer and 
his mates. 


42 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“Who are you chaps anyway, and what're you 
doing here?” he demanded. 

“Oh! that's easily explained,” said the Kitch- 
ing boy cheerily. “We all belong in Chester, you 
see, and make up the Camp Fire Boys' Club. Just 
now we are on one of our regular trips to the 
woods for sport, and to wind up the summer 
vacation. My name is Elmer Kitching, this is 
Amos Codling; the tall chum is a son of Caleb 
Winkleman who owns the classy motion picture 
theater in our town; and the last boy is Perk— 
his dad is an engineer on the B. & S. Railroad. 
Might I ask who you are, and what you expected 
to find here in this shack at Old Cabin Bend of 
the Beaverkill?” 

“That's a civil question, youngster, and since 
you've been so obliging, I don’t mind answering 
it. Me and my mate Andrews here are guards 
over at the big State Asylum for the Insane. A 
few days ago one of the inmates managed to es¬ 
cape, and we've been searching the whole country¬ 
side for him ever since. Our hound here found 
and lost his trail again and again in the queerest 
way ever. The last time he ran it out the fugitive 
was heading this way. Somehow I got a notion 
he must know about this old cabin here, and was 
making for it. You see I originally came from 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


43 


Crawford Notch, and knew all about the deserted 
cabin up here. So I influenced my pal to drop 
around. ’ 9 

“Yes , 99 broke in the man who had been called 
Andrews, 4 ‘ and when we caught the glimmer of a 
dying fire through the trees, Collins here was 
dead sure we’d treed our coon at last. But the 
game is all off again, it seems; and we can start 
in looking where we left off; warning the farm¬ 
ers as we go to keep their eyes peeled for a clever 
chap who’ll hoodwink them with his blarney, if 
he gets half a chance. ’ ’ 

“Thank you for telling us,” said Elmer; “and 
in return let me say that when we struck this 
cabin some time after moonrise to-night, there 
was an odor of stale tobacco smoke hanging 
around inside. One of my chums here also de¬ 
clared he glimpsed some sort of figure bending 
over like an animal, and getting out of sight in 
a hurry!” 

At hearing this the men both uttered exclama¬ 
tions that told of renewed interest. “That 
sounds interesting,” said Collins, warmly. “It 
might be we can pick up a fresh trail around these 
diggings. About where was it he was seen?” 

“Perk, step up here,” said Elmer; “can you 
point out the spot for the gentlemen!” 


44 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“Sure thing, Elmer. There, over to the left 
yonder, see the tree that seems to bend over to¬ 
ward the southeast—it was right under that same 
I sighted a moving figure; but it flashed out of 
sight before I could rub my eyes twice to make 
sure.” 

“That’s aplenty, Perk, and thank you,” said 
Collins, who seemed a pretty decent sort of a chap 
after all, though he must have been terribly dis¬ 
appointed when his theory turned to bitter fruit; 
his comrade’s jeers too had not added to his en¬ 
joyment of the situation. 

“Let’s try the dog around that place,” imme¬ 
diately suggested the other man, plainly full of 
action. “ If it’s our bird, Jock ’ll soon give tongue, 
and lead us off right smart.” 

‘‘ Our only play, I reckon, ’ ’ agreed Collins. 6 6 So 
good night, boys; hope you have a bully time of it 
in camp; used to do that sort of thing myself 
years back, and know what it means. We’ll soon 
be clearing out of this region, hit or miss, so you 
won’t be pestered with our hound barking for 
long. ’ ’ 

Elmer and the others saw them hurry away 
with mingled emotions. Despite the fact that the 
night air seemed pretty chilly, and their gar¬ 
ments exceedingly thin, they continued to huddle 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


45 


in the open doorway, listening and watching. 

Even Perk refused to go back again to his snug 
blanket so long as the other three remained there; 
and once Elmer heard him saying softly, as 
though to himself: 

“Poor thing, just to think of him out of his 
mind, and wandering at large in these big woods, 
hungry, and without even a blanket to hug nights. 
I almost wish he’d crept in, and cribbed that last 
loaf of bread we fetched along/’ 

That was Perk all over, full of feeling for any 
one apt to be suffering; and it was this spirit of 
wanting to be of service that endeared him to the 
hearts of all his boy friends in Chester. 

“There’s the hound picking up!” snapped 
Amos, suddenly. 

“But you want to notice there isn’t a note of 
eagerness in his baying,” added Elmer, quickly. 
“If he’s found any sort of scent at all, it isn’t 
what he’s been searching for. You can even de¬ 
tect a sort of disappointed sound about his mourn¬ 
ful notes.” 

“That’s what!” echoed Wee Willie. “Either 
the lunatic has been too smart for the trackers, 
or else it wasn’t him after all, and the dog knows 
it.” 

Elmer shut the door again, though only with 


46 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


an effort, owing to its really dilapidated condi¬ 
tion. And Perk, as if in duty bound, proceeded 
again to adjust bis rope guard. It had served 
them one good turn already, he figured; because 
had those two guards burst suddenly in upon 
them, their consternation must have been many 
times aggravated. 

“A nice state of affairs, I must say!” Wee Wil¬ 
lie was grumbling. “We came all the way up 
here to camp in solitude and peace, and now see 
what we’re up against! Gee whiz! can you 
beat it?” 

“No, but mebbe we’d better beat it for home,” 
Perk faintly suggested, as if even the thought 
gave him fresh pain. 

“Here, none of that, Perk,” sternly rebuked 
Elmer: “We’re not the kind to be frightened off 
by such a silly little thing as that. We’ll stick 
it out, no matter what comes along! ’ ’ 

“Hear! hear!” came from Wee Willie; while 
Amos too added his voice to the chorus, and even 
Perk hastened to say: 

“Oh! I didn’t really mean it, I assure you, boys, 
and you can believe me. I’ll hang on as long as 
the next one, no matter if the whole asylum breaks 
loose.” 


CHAPTER Y 


AKL BUSY AS BEAVERS 

It was some time before the boys could settle 
down again to sleep. Perk often believed he 
could catch a distant yap from the ranging hound, 
and it never failed to give him a thrill. The beast 
had seemed both big, and inclined to be savage; 
and Perk could not help shuddering to think of 
his getting loose from his leash and coming on the 
cringing lunatic somewhere in the lonely timber. 

But finally even the anxious Perk succumbed, 
and when he again opened his eyes it was to find 
that daylight had come, with Elmer outside start¬ 
ing up the fire, and some one else rattling the tin 
pans, as if getting ready for a jolly breakfast. 

As that was encroaching on his private pre¬ 
serves, Perk hastened to bob up and assure the 
others he would soon be on deck, prepared to make 
a mess of his savory “ flapjacks/’ as he had sol¬ 
emnly promised to do the very first morning in 
camp. 

Soon every one was busily engaged, for there 
was bound to be “heaps” of work laid out for 
that wonderful day. Amos was examining the 
dilapidated roof of the cabin and settling just how 

47 


48 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


they should go about rendering it waterproof; 
Wee Willie beat some batter in a tin vessel, under 
the eye of the self-constituted master of cere¬ 
monies (for Perk had actually donned a snow- 
white peakless cap, fashioned after a regular 
chef’s headgear, doubtless meaning to have no 
dispute regarding his recognized rights to the ex¬ 
alted title); while Elmer had taken to looking 
around outside, especially over in the quarter of 
the leaning birch tree. 

He came over to the fire a little later, and Wee 
Willie at once detected indications in his face that 
made him suspicious. 

“You’ve discovered something new, Elmer, 
now don’t deny it!” he immediately asserted. 

ii What is it!” hastily demanded Perk. 

“Well,” said Elmer, quietly, “it’s just this; 
whoever that man may be, he came back again 
during the night!” 

This information caused all of the others to 
show fresh interest. Perk was just in the act of 
tossing aloft his first flapjack, and in his nervous¬ 
ness he actually missed connections, so that the 
delectable morsel ignominiously fell into the 
ashes, and was thus lost. 

“It wasn’t up to the mark, anyhow,” the nerv¬ 
ous cook hastened to say in apology; “first off 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


49 


the pan shouldn’t be eaten, I always claim. But 
you did give me a jolt, Elmer, when you said 
that . 9 9 

“How do you know?” questioned Wee Willie; 
“run across the sign, did you?” 

“He walked completely around the cabin 
twice,” stated the other. “From the indications 
I’d say he must have been a heap surprised to 
discover that it had occupants; for I take it, he 
could hear some of us breathing pretty hard.” 

“Huh! needn’t all look right at me Wee 
Willie hastened to snap, as he colored up amidst 
his freckles. “I made out to lie on my side the 
whole live-long night, I’d take my affidavy on that. 
I admit that once in a while I do snore; hut that’s 
when I roll over on my back, and have been gorg¬ 
ing at supper on such things as mince pie and 
other heavy stuff. Go on, Elmer!” 

“I know what you are thinking,” Elmer con¬ 
tinued; “how could I decide that the man didn’t 
make those marks before we came? I’ll tell you 
what proof I have right now. In the first place 
there isn’t much dew in the tracks, which I reckon 
would indicate that the footprints were made 
shortly before dawn. Am I right there, Wee 
Willie? You’re well up in woodcraft, and ought 
to be able to say.” 


50 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“Sounds good to me,” grunted the other, 
wagging his head violently in the affirmative, 
while a pleased expression on his thin face told 
how much he felt complimented by having Elmer 
defer in this fashion to his judgment. 

“Well, I had another good proof,” Elmer went 
on to say, with one of his reassuring smiles. 
“Where the tracks crossed the marks left by Col¬ 
lins and his pal they overlapped; that is, this foot¬ 
print broke into the ones made by the two guards 
from the asylum! ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ Splendid work, Elmer!’ 9 cried Perk, this time 
succeeding brilliantly in tossing up his second 
flapjack, which alighted successfully in the pan, 
with the browned side up. “Guess he did come 
prowling around then, and like as not tried the 
door more’n once. Say, I’m real glad I fastened 
it as well as I did . 9 9 

“What do you suppose he wanted?” queried 
Amos, looking even more serious than was his 
habit. 

“Not being a mind reader,” Elmer told him, 
“I couldn’t say; but to make a stab at it I’d guess 
he hoped we’d gone along, and he could have his 
old cabin to himself again.” 

“Well, it’ll always be a big mystery who and 
what this chap can be,” Wee Willie concluded. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


51 


“I only hope now he knows we’re stopping here 
he’ll take the hint, and keep off the grass. It’ll 
go rough with any hobo we catch bothering our 
traps, let me tell you. Here, put that one on this 
warm plate I’ve got on this flat stone alongside 
the fire, Perk. It makes a beginning, and we can 
soon be starting in to feed.” 

“Somebody open that bottle of maple syrup,” 
observed the bustling cook a little later on, as 
another “cart-wheel” cake went turning over in 
the air, to be caught dextrously again in the pan. 
“And when I get a third one ready you’d better 
start in eating while they’re fresh and hot. The 
coffee’s done; and of course I don’t mean to com¬ 
mence until somebody can spell me here.” 

In good time they were doing full justice to 
Perk’s famous flapjacks; which each and every 
camper solemnly declared when passing up his 
pie-tin for more were really unequaled by any¬ 
thing served at the breakfast table at home. 

Of course Wee Willie presently insisted on tak¬ 
ing Perk’s place, so that the chef might take the 
edge off his own appetite; until finally all of them 
declared they could not swallow another bite, and 
with three cakes left over. 

“For munching on between meals, if any one 
wants a snack,” Perk explained, as he put them 


52 THE CAMP FIRE ROYS 

aside. “Nothing to be wasted in this camp— 
that is, except perhaps the first tryout in a batch. ” 

Then they commenced to do things, each one 
having jotted down certain tasks that should be 
attended to without delay. 

Elmer and Wee Willie took upon their shoulders 
the mending of the cabin roof; patching up sun¬ 
dry apertures between the logs of the walls, where 
the dried mud had long since fallen away through 
the action of time and weather combined; and also 
renewing the broken hinge on the cumbersome 
door. 

Perk insisted on cleaning up the breakfast 
things; somehow he loved to serve in the capacity 
of cook, and his mates seemed perfectly willing 
to have it so, strange to say. 

As for Amos, already he had his precious cam¬ 
era out, and announced his intention of searching 
the immediate neighborhood, in hopes of securing 
some unusual picture. 

“I’d like above all things to find a late par¬ 
tridge on her nest,” he was explaining ere he 
sauntered forth. “I’ve always wanted to get a 
picture of the bird on her eggs, or strutting around 
with her chicks; but I’m afraid it’s a heap too 
late in the season for such a thing to happen.” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


53 


“Asa rule the early brood is pretty well grown 
by now,” commented Elmer; “still, I remember 
finding a nest with eggs in it as late as this, and 
you might be just lucky enough. Wish you suc¬ 
cess, Amos; and if I can help you in any way 
let me know.” 

“Perhaps you may when I get a chance to set 
a camera trap at night, so some cunning ’coon, 
or frisky mink, will take his own picture. That’s 
my ambition, you know, Elmer, though I’m not 
building my hopes too high, not wanting to be dis¬ 
appointed. ’ ’ 

“I wouldn’t stray too far away, if I were you, 
Amos,” hinted Wee Willie. 

“Oh! I’m a pretty fair woodsman,” insisted the 
other, “and I reckon now the chances of my get¬ 
ting lost are small. But I’ll just wander around 
the Bend here, and sort of get my bearings, as 
well as keep one eye out for anything that ap¬ 
peals to me.” 

“And keep the other on the watch for signs of 
that tramp, or lunatic, Amos,” Perk insisted on 
warning him solicitously. 

So Amos walked away, carrying his camera 
along with him. Elmer looked after him with an 
expression akin to concern on his young face, 
which shrewd Wee Willie was quick to notice. 


54 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“Something seems to be bothering him, don’t 
you think, Elmer ?” the latter asked in a low tone 
so that Perk might not hear what he said. 

“Y-es, I’ve thought so myself lately,” admitted 
Elmer, slowly; “though you remember, Amos has 
always been a sobersides of a chap ever since we 
came to know him. There’s a sort of family 
trouble weighing down on him, I reckon; some¬ 
thing that is no one else’s business. I’d like to 
comfort him if only I knew how to go about it; 
but I don’t want to kick in where outsiders have 
no right. But let’s change the subject, Wee 
Willie; I dislike talking about any of my chums.” 

They worked industriously for an hour and 
more, and under their clever tactics the roof began 
to show decided signs of improvement. Indeed, 
already one-half of its surface had been rendered 
impervious to water, after the boys had succeeded 
in thatching it with bark stripped from certain 
trees, and overlapping like the shingles on an ordi¬ 
nary house. 

“By the time we get through we needn’t be 
afraid of the heaviest kind of a rainfall,” said 
Elmer, confidently; “unless it’s accompanied by 
a fierce wind, such as might strip all this off in a 
jiffy.” 

“Where’s Perk gone?” asked Wee Willie; “I 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 55 

thought I heard him saying something just then, 
but it sounded as if he was off somewhere/’ 

“I saw him prowling around in the brush yon¬ 
der ten minutes ago,” Elmer informed him. 
“Like as not he’s just bent on seeing if there’s 
a good spot for fishing at the Bend here; because, 
you know Perk dearly loves to pull in the frisky 
black bass, or the striped perch, as well as eat 
the same.” 

“Listen! wasn’t that him speaking again!” 
hissed Wee Willie, stopping his task of fastening 
a strip of pliable bark w T ith small round tins, 
through each of which a nail could be driven, such 
as are used to secure tarred paper to the roofs of 
chicken coops and other small outbuildings. 

“No, you don’t, not this time, you nasty thing!” 
Perk was heard saying half in disgust, and with 
a tinge of consternation in his tones. “Curl up 
again, and shake your old locust rattle as much as 
you please, who cares!” 

“Perk!” shouted Elmer excitedly, recognizing 
a certain dreadful sound that now floated to his 
ears, “back away! Don’t fool with a rattlesnake, 
you silly! Back water, and in a hurry!” 


CHAPTER VI 


THE EVENTS OF A DAY 

Both boys leaped to the ground without waiting 
to agree on any particular program. They had 
recognized the peculiar buzz of an angry rattle¬ 
snake, so like the shrill sound made by a locust 
on a hot August day, and once heard never after¬ 
wards forgotten. 

The thought of their chum taking any chances 
with such a dangerous viper thrilled them, and 
also gave them a chill. Elmer snatched up the 
first stick he could see, in which he was speedily 
imitated by the other. Then they started on the 
run, heading directly for the spot whence that 
furious whirring sound sprang. 

As they went thus they heard another sort of 
disturbance, as though some object might be 
swishing through the bushes, or else beating the 
ground. Then again came the voice of Perk, 
uttering low warwhoops, as though furiously en¬ 
gaged, while the rattle gradually became uncer¬ 
tain, and finally ceased to sound. 

*‘Take that with my compliments, and here’s 
another of the same sort! Huh! lunge at a fellow 
56 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


57 


who didn’t mean to bother you at all, will you! 
Guess I’ve done for your hash all right, thanks to 
this bully pole. Hello! fellows, just come up in 
time to see me clip him the last stunner. He’s 
settled, don’t you think!” 

Elmer breathed easier when he saw that bulky 
Perk had snatched up a convenient pole, and with 
this had proceeded to break the back-bone of the 
angry snake. It was even then squirming on the 
ground, and judging from its length must be an 
old campaigner, being fully three feet, which could 
be considered fair proportions for a Northern 
specimen. 

“He didn’t get to you, I hope, Perk?” was the 
first question Elmer asked, at which the other 
grinned, and shook his head vigorously in the 
negative. 

i ‘ Glad to say he didn’t, Elmer; but shucks! if he 
could only have flung himself his full length, in¬ 
stead of only half, I believe he’d have struck me. 
But I did for him, let me tell you, that’s right. 
Six rattles, and a prime button to wind up with, to 
show for my encounter! Whew!” 

“But didn’t you hear his warning rattle?” de¬ 
manded Wee Willie; “I never knew a case where 
one of his stripe didn’t shake his can like thunder 


58 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


before yon almost stepped on him. They’re the 
only honorable snake there is.” 

Perk colored up, and then candidly admitted his 
shortcoming. 

“Why, er, yon see, I just must have thought 
it was only a locust buzzing away like all get- 
out,” he confessed, in some confusion. “Then 
all at once he launched himself out at me, to fall 
short; but like a flash he was coiled again, and 
starting in to make that queer buzzing sound once 
more. Oh! yes, I did get a shock, and felt as cold 
as ice for a few seconds; then my dander seemed 
to rise, and I just looked around for a pole, which 
luckily enough happened to be handy. It knocked 
him silly, you can see.” 

“We’ll take no chances with such a slick neigh¬ 
bor,” said Wee Willie, who happened to be carry¬ 
ing the camp hatchet in his left hand; with which 
he now proceeded to decapitate the squirming 
snake. “There, be careful not to step on his 
head, Perk; I’ve heard of a case where a man died 
by doing that, the sharp fangs running into his 
foot through his soft moccasin.” 

Perk was contented to obtain possession of the 
rattle as a memento of his late exciting encounter. 
He showed some concern over the matter. 


59 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

“I certainly hope there isn’t a nest of these 
chaps hanging around Log Cabin Bend,” he re¬ 
marked, solicitously. “What with watching for 
snakes, and escaped lunatics, I can see where 
we’re hound to be on the alert every minute of 
our stay up here. ’ ’ 

“So far as that goes, it always pays to keep 
your eyes ©pen when afoot in the Tall Timber,” 
Elmer warned him. “You never know what you 
may run up against any minute; and preparedness 
is the right bower of every woodsman worthy of 
the name. Already we’ve run across three in¬ 
stances of this—first there was that crouching cat 
Amos frightened off with his flashlight; then came 
the mysterious party who slipped away from the 
cabin at our approach; and now this venomous 
snake that was lying coiled in your path, and on 
which you might have trod unawares only for his 
generous warning. 9 ’ 

“This ought to be a good lesson to me, Elmer,” 
humbly admitted the contrite Perk. “I realize 
that I’m a whole lot short on woods lore, and all 
those things some of my fine pards know so much 
about; but I mean to soak in a Tyheen of the same 
while we’re up here in camp. Yes, every time I 


60 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


shake this rattle it ’ll remind me how wofully 
lacking I am in scoutcraft, and everything con¬ 
nected with life in the woods/’ 

“Everything perhaps except the splendid art 
of cookery, Perk,” remarked the cunning Wee 
Willie, adroitly feeding the ambition of the other 
to shine as an artist along such lines; “there 
you’ve got the bunch of us left at the post.” 

“Yes,” remarked the other, with a puff of un¬ 
conscious pride, while his eyes fairly sparkled 
with pleasure at receiving such a compliment, “I 
suppose a fellow can’t be up head in everything; 
where one excels, another fails to hit the mark. 
And perhaps it’s just as well that I have a knack 
for the noble culinary art.” 

Perk went back to camp with the others, as 
though for the time being his desire to look around 
had received a decided setback. 

“I’ll come out and put the ugly thing under¬ 
ground later on, ’ ’ he said; ‘ * for such trash ought 
to be buried deep, so as to keep the air around 
the camp sweet and pure. I burned some insect 
powder inside the cabin, you may have noticed, 
just to get rid of that stale odor we took to come 
from rank tobacco. It’s a disinfectant in the bar¬ 
gain.” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


61 


“That's right, Perk,” assented Wee Willie, 
promptly; “anyway, it almost disinfected me 
when I poked my head indoors a while back, to 
see if there might be any cavity we'd overlooked. 
Made the tears come, too, so that Elmer he asked 
me, when I got back on the roof, if I'd had any 
bad news from home. But then I left the door 
wide open, so it'll gradually pass away, let's 
hope.” 

The two menders of leaky roofs were soon at 
their old job, while Perk readily found something 
else to occupy his time and attention. He had 
pounded nails galore in the wall near the cavity 
which was used as a fireplace, and on these he 
hung such cooking utensils as they had fetched 
along with them, consisting of a large sized coffee¬ 
pot ; a generous frying pan; some kettles in which 
grits or rice or oatmeal might be cooked; like¬ 
wise a little teapot, for Perk was a regular old 
maid when it came to the question of drinking a 
decoction of the fragrant herb at lunch or supper, 
preferring it to Java at any time. 

Along about half-past-ten by Elmer's little 
nickel watch who should come in but Amos, with 
a look of eager expectation on his face. 


62 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“Guess yon struck oil somewhere, didn’t you, 
brother?” asked Wee Willie, as if able rightly to 
interpret this expression of anticipated triumph. 

“Would you believe it,” crowed Amos, “I had 
the great good luck to scare a bird out of the 
thicket where the berries are growing that par¬ 
tridges like to feed on early in the Fall; and on 
investigating there was a nest, with some eggs 
in it, and warm at that? Of course it’s a silly 
bird that hopes to fetch up a flock of nestlings 
hatched out so near frost time, but it was pie to 
me!” 

“What did you do?” demanded Perk, looking 
deeply interested. 

“Well, I fixed my camera so it focussed on the 
nest, with the proper effect of light,” explained 
Amos. “Then I crept away to some little dis¬ 
tance, keeping in tabs with it all, so I’d know when 
to pull the string that would free the trigger of 
the camera, and expose the plate in a jiffy.” 

“And did it work; was the old bird so little 
alarmed that she’d come back to her nest before 
the eggs got chilled?” continued Perk. 

“Just what she did,” assented the eager photog¬ 
rapher, “and as soon as I saw everything was O. 
K. I did the business. Knew just when the trigger 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


63 


sprang, too, for I noticed her give a little jump 
at the click. Then she flew off again as I stepped 
up to recover my camera that lay on the ground. 
I certainly do hope I ? ve struck a decent picture; 
hut if not I’ll just keep on trying till I do.” 

“That’s the right spirit, Amos,” chuckled 
Elmer. “Just keep it up and you’re bound to 
get there sooner or later.” 

Then the newcomer had to be told about Perk’s 
thrilling adventure, as well as shown the rattle 
of the dead snake by the proud victor in the battle 
royal. The reader may rest assured that by the 
time all three boys had given their separate ver¬ 
sion of the encounter, Amos was fully posted re¬ 
garding every detail possible. 

“You came out of it in prime shape, Perk,” he 
said, heartily; “but luck was on your side. If 
you’d happened to be a foot closer, there might 
have been a far different story to tell; and a 
heap anxious lot of fellows up here at Old Cabin 
Bend. I’ve known of chaps who were struck by 
a rattler, and died in spite of being dosed with 
whisky, and such things, under the idea that 
one poison can counteract another. For myself 
I like to give snakes a wide berth. I’ll step out 
of the trail every time to let one hold possession.” 


64 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“It’s really the safest plan,” assented Elmer. 

“But that isn’t just all my news, boys,” con¬ 
tinued the ardent photographer. “Down under 
the river bank I found a heap of little tracks, 
mink footprints for a certainty, showing that one 
old chap roams around there, anyway. And to¬ 
night, Elmer, I’d like to have you help me set my 
camera trap, hoping to coax Mr. Mink to sit for 
his own picture.” 

“You can count on me in anything you ask, 
Amos,” he was told most heartily as the roofers 
again got busy with their pounding. 

After they had partaken of a light lunch, mean¬ 
ing to have the big meal of the day come at eve¬ 
ning, when their tasks would all be finished, they 
lay around resting and dozing, for it had become 
quite warm. 

Perk, however, showed signs of continued nerv¬ 
ousness. Perhaps he had received a greater 
shock during his encounter with the rattler than 
he cared to admit; then again the suspicion that 
an escaped lunatic was hovering around, and try¬ 
ing to spy upon them, was in itself quite enough 
to make him uneasy. 

He got up, and threw himself down again as 
many as half a dozen times, considerably to the 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


65 


amusement of Wee Willie, who was slyly watching 
him. Finally Perk found a seat on a convenient 
log, and sat there, staring away toward a little 
uplift of land that might be called a forest knoll, 
where the trees stood up far above the balance 
of the timber. 

Wee Willie, watching, saw the fat chum sud¬ 
denly start, and bending forward stare very hard 
at something. His features were working, too, as 
though Perk might be laboring under a fresh 
spasm of excitement. 

“Well, I just expected it’d happen!” Wee 
Willie heard him mutter. 

“What happened, Perk?” demanded the other, 
lifting his head. 

“Why, there he is right now, perched in that 
beechnut tree up on the knoll yonder. You can 
see the dark mass move if you look sharp! Of 
course he’s spying on the camp; and I bet you 
he’s got it all fixed to visit us this very night!” 


CHAPTER VII 


THE CLIMBER OF THE BEECH TREE 

11 Ginger ! there is something big and black up 
in that tree, as sure as you live!” exclaimed Wee 
Willie, excitedly. 

Both Elmer and Amos also stared. Appar¬ 
ently they found it necessary to agree with what 
the tall chum had just said. It looked as though 
humble Perk had scored again; somehow he 
seemed to be connected with almost everything 
that had happened to them thus far; when as a 
usual thing such events took delight in passing 
him by. 

“There, didn’t you see him move?” he added, 
with a tinge of triumph in his voice. “ Just think 
of his nerve, climbing that tree to watch what we 
do. If he’d been a signal-sender in the old Boy 
Scout days at Chester, before the troop busted 
up, he couldn’t have picked out a better location. 
I bet you he’s watching us right now. What 
ought we do about it, Elmer?” 

Considerably to the astonishment of the 
66 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


67 


speaker, Elmer was heard to give an unmistak¬ 
able chuckle, as though something amused him. 

* 1 Well,’’ he went on to say, “we might walk out 
there and tell that party we objected to his com¬ 
pany; but the chances are he’d sniff at us, and 
amble away; for you see it’s only a bear!” 

“A bear ! ” gasped Perk, turning again to fasten 
his eyes on the mysterious object perched high 
in the big beech tree. 

“Yes, a black bear, and I reckon a half-grown 
cub at that, else he wouldn’t be so fresh as to climb 
a tree so near our camp,” the other continued; 
while Wee Willie nodded his head in affirmation, 
and hastened to corroborate the statement by 
saying: 

“No doubt about it, Perk, your hobo is a four¬ 
legged tramp, all right. I c’n make him out 
plainly, now he’s moved a bit; though at first I 
began to think it might be a man sitting astride 
a limb.” 

“But what’s a bear doing up there, I’d like to 
know!” Perk objected, hardly liking to give up 
his side of the case so easily. 

“Why, from away back bears have been in the 
habit of climbing trees whenever they felt like it,” 
the tall boy told him; “and there’s nothing in the 


68 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


Constitution of the United States that’s going to 
make ’em change their habits either—that is, 
black bears. It’s a different thing with grizzlies 
out in the Rocky Mountain country, I understand; 
they keep to the ground. ’ ’ 

Perk sighed with real relief as he hurriedly re¬ 
marked, and quite cheerfully at that: 

“Well, I’m glad to know I was mistaken. It 
gave me a bad feeling to think that ugly tramp 
was spying on us. Yes, now the thing shifts 
again, and sure enough I can make him out plainly. 
It’s a real live bear—not a monster, but pretty 
hefty for all that.” 

Amos darted into the cabin. 

“Now what’s he after, I want to know?” Perk 
quickly asked. 

“Just as like as not, that camera of his,” Elmer 
explained. “Amos is crazy on the subject of 
photography, and his first thought always is, ‘Will 
it make a striking picture?’ I reckon he thinks 
he might be able to creep up close enough to snap 
that chap off, up in the beechnut tree.” 

Sure enough out came Amos on the run, and 
gripping his ready camera. 

“I’d like to get him the worst kind, fellows!” 
he told them. “Some of the boys at home will 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


69 


laugh at us when we tell them we actually saw a 
black bear up in a tree. I’d make them feel like 
thirty cents if I could hold up a photo of the hap¬ 
pening, taken at closer quarters than this.” 

“We’ll all go along, Amos,” suggested Elmer. 

Possibly he fancied that the others might find 
their presence useful in some way or other. It 
might be wise, Elmer even suspected, since the 
rash photographer, in his burning desire to get 
a close view, might run foul of the claws of Bruin, 
and need material assistance. 

‘‘Glad to have you,” agreed Amos, a faint smile 
coming on his usually wan face; “but let’s hurry, 
please, because the bear might take a notion to 
come down, and then my chance would be gone. ’ 9 

“Follow me,” Elmer told him. “We’ve just 
got to swing around a bit so as to come up to lee¬ 
ward, for he’d be apt to scent us if we kept straight 
on down the wind. ’ ’ 

“Good boy, Elmer, you’re right!” commended 
Wee Willie. 

“And now no talking except in whispers, with 
as little of that as possible. We don’t want to 
have our walk for nothing, I imagine.” 

With these words Elmer led off, the others 
trooping after him, Amos coming next, then the 


70 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


tall chum, and fat Perk bringing up the rear, as 
was ordinarily his custom. 

They soon found themselves deep in the woods, 
with all sight of the big beechnut tree on the knoll 
lost to them. But trust Elmer for having fixed 
the location indelibly in his mind. Every step 
they took was fetching them just that much closer 
to their goal; and while Wee Willie also kept tabs 
on their progress, not once did he find occasion 
to enter the slightest protest concerning the lead¬ 
ership of Elmer. 

After about ten minutes of this sort of thing, 
the one in the van stopped, and held up his hand. 
They seemed to be at the foot of the knoll, judg¬ 
ing from the lay of the land. Elmer parted some 
bushes that hemmed them in, and, looking up, the 
others saw the very beech tree toward which they 
had started. 

There could no longer be the least doubt con¬ 
cerning the nature of that dark object, for it was 
a young black bear. Whatever had tempted him 
to climb the tree they could only guess; for at the 
time they discovered him afresh the clumsy little 
animal was thrusting out his muzzle, and seemed 
to be sniffing the air suspiciously. 

* 4 He’s got a whitf of human presence near by, 
somehow or other,’’ whispered Elmer; “do you 



His method of descending the tree was exceed¬ 
ingly clumsy. 



































* 




\ 













AT LOG CABIN BEND 


73 


think you could snap him off from here, Amos ? ’ 1 

“To he sure I can/’ came the ready response, 
as the camera owner shifted his position; and a 
few seconds later a sharp click announced that he 
had done the work. 

“He heard even that little sound,” announced 
Wee Willie, in a low tone, “because I saw him 
give a start. Hurry and duplicate, Amos, for the 
rascal means to come down. ’ y 

Sure enough the hear seemed to have decided 
to change his location, as if growing uneasy after 
getting that suspicious waft of a scent his instinct 
told him was hostile to his species. 

His method of descending the tree was exceed¬ 
ingly clumsy when compared with the clever ac¬ 
tions of a gray squirrel while skimming the 
smooth trunk with ease. Indeed, the bear acted 
very much like a boy would have done, coming 
down stern first, and being very careful not to 
let go above until sure of his footing on a limb 
below. 

Amos kept busy snapping him off in various 
postures. He evidently meant to make sure of 
having some extra fine pictures to show. 

Perk meanwhile began to grow a little uneasy, 
and even plucked at the sleeve of Elmer as he 
managed to say excitedly: 


74 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

“What if he’d feel mad and start to tackle 
the bunch? We haven’t got even a club or a 
hatchet along, come to think of it. Are black 
bears inclined to be vicious, Elmer; will they bite 
and scratch like a wildcat?” 

“Don’t worry about that, Perk,” chuckled the 
other. “They are most harmless animals as a 
rule, hardly more dangerous than so many hogs 
in the pasture. Besides, this is only a youngster; 
chances are he’ll run for all that’s out as soon 
as he hits solid ground.” 

“I’ll give a whoop, and help scare him off 
then,” suggested Perk, picking up his courage 
again. 

“Just as you please; and Amos here can snap 
him off while on the gallop! ’ ’ Elmer concluded. 

The bear was now almost at the foot of the tree. 
Amos stepped out so as to command a better posi¬ 
tion for covering the spot. He had just one more 
exposure left, when the half dozen would be com¬ 
plete ; and he wanted to make sure this last would 
not be wasted. 

Perk was waiting, getting redder than ever m 
the face with suspended breath and no sooner did 
he discover that the young bear had reached the 
ground than he let out a yell that might easily 
have shamed a Comanche Indian. Of course, this 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


75 


started the timid beast off at a wild pace, while 
Amos clicked his camera to prove that he had 
taken advantage of the opportunity. 

The last they heard of Bruin was the clatter 
amidst the brushes and thickets as he scrambled 
madly through every obstacle to his progress, 
only wild to get away from that point of danger. 

Elmer and Wee Willie exchanged looks, and 
laughed good and hard. 

‘ 4 Never will stop short of three miles, believe 
me!” asserted the latter. “I didn’t believe you 
had it in you to let out such a fiendish whoop, 
Perk. But it paid us for coming over here, for 
now we can say with truth we had an adventure 
with a wild bear, and that Amos here had to 
‘shoot’ six times before the fight was finished.” 

Amos looked decidedly pleased. 

“I’ll have to call this my bear roll of film,” he 
suggested, patting his camera affectionately, after 
the manner of those who are seized with the photo¬ 
graphic craze. “And out of the lot there must be 
several half-way decent pictures. I never be¬ 
lieved I’d get such a great chance as this.” 

“Say, things are happening like hot cakes, 
seems to me,” Perk remarked, as once more they 
turned their faces in the direction of the camp. 
“Why, we hardly get through with one event be^ 


76 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

fore another comes crowding along right at its 
heels. We’ve done considerable camping this sum¬ 
mer, ever since we started the Camp Fire Boys’ 
Club, but nothing like this ever came along the 
pike.” 

“Suits me all right!” Wee Willie declared, 
grinning. “I like excitement, and just sitting 
around, loafing, never was my style of enjoying 
myself. Why, I’m even hoping we’ll see some¬ 
thing of this chap who was hanging out in the 
cabin when we came along and squatted here. ’ ’ 

“Oh, wouldn’t it be a tough joke on us now if, 
when we got back, we found he’d been there in 
our absence, and helped himself to lots of our 
stuff?” 

Perk, as he spoke, looked as though this might 
not be a groundless fear after all, but Elmer only 
laughed at him. 

“I’m going back another way, you notice, Perk. 
Every now and then we can get glimpses of the 
cabin, with our fire burning in front, and so far 
I’ve seen no sign of any intruder. Don’t worry 
about it. In three minutes we ’ll be home again.’ ’ 

His prophecy came true, and Perk was relieved 
to discover that nothing had mysteriously van¬ 
ished during their brief absence from camp. 


CHAPTER VIII 


AMOS’S STRANGE ACTIONS 

The incident of the climbing black bear was 
closed around four that first afternoon in camp. 
Altogether it had been productive of considerable 
excitement, and amusement as well. The day, 
however, was fated to see still further singular 
happenings before closing. 

Elmer was inside the cabin “fussing around,’’ 
as he called it. He had cleaned out the shabby 
old fireplace, making a few badly needed repairs, 
so that the chimney might draw properly when 
they came to start a blaze there evenings, wish¬ 
ing to gather around, and chat or sing as the 
humor seized them. 

Amos had wandered off again. He said it 
seemed to be a banner day with him so that he felt 
inclined to roam about and possibly make a few 
more discoveries that would be of value; which, 
of course, pertained to the camera stunt only— 
he had thoughts for nothing else apparently. 

Perk and Wee Willie were discussing the menu 
for supper when Elmer came out of the cabin door, 
and approached them. He seemed to be holding 
77 


I 


78 


THE CAMP FIRE ROYS 


something in his hand, though neither of the other 
boys could quite make it out. 

“Well,” Elmer commenced saying, as he came 
up, “I think I’ve discovered just why our tramp 
wanted to get back into the cabin again last night, 
going all around twice, looking for an opening 
which he didn’t find. ’ y 

“That sounds interesting,” observed Perk. 

‘ ‘ Tell us about it, Elmer , 1 ’ the tall chum added; 
“and what under the sun are you holding there 
in your hand?” 

Elmer laughed softly. 

“That’s the answer,” he hastened to say, and 
then held something up before their eyes. 

“Gee! what a funny knife!” exclaimed Perk. 

“ Where’d you run across it, Elmer?” de¬ 
manded Wee Willie. 

“The blade is open, you see, just as I found 
it,” explained the other. “And it was sticking 
in a log close by the yawning fireplace. From the 
odor that hangs about the blade, I reckon Mr. 
Tramp must have used it to slice some plug to¬ 
bacco, that black, tough kind, you know, for his 
old pipe, and then thinking to use it again a little 
later on, just stuck it into a log of the wall near 
his head.” 


79 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

“Huh! our coming along sent him on the run 
into the bushes, and he clean forgot all about his 
precious old knife—is that what you mean, 
Elmer f ’ ’ 

“Just so, Wee Willie; and missing his knife 
later he started to come back to recover it. To 
such men a knife becomes as precious as—well, 
Amos’s camera is to him; or your postage-stamp 
album might be to you, Perk. Besides, you can 
see what an odd sort of a knife this one is.” 

“I never saw one like it before,” Perk spoke 
up. “Why, besides the one big strong blade it’s 
got a fork, and a spoon attachment, too. Fact 
is, it could be used for a whole meal. Yes, and 
here’s even a corkscrew along the back. What a 
queer knife it is, to be sure! I don’t wonder the 
poor old hobo valued it.” 

“Perhaps he’s carried it for years and years,” 
mused Wee Willie, “and it’s his most treasured 
possession. I wish he had it in his greasy pocket 
again. ’ ’ 

“But see here, boys,” Perk suggested, “how do 
we know but that it might have been there for ever 
so long—mebbe since the cabin was in use before 
that tragedy happened here, that I’ve heard the 
folks down Chester way mention!” 


80 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


Elmer and the tall chum exchanged meaning 
glances. They had supposed that Perk knew 
nothing about that tragic event, and had agreed 
to “keep mum” about it while in camp at Log 
Cabin Bend, lest he feel uneasy. 

“ Oh! that’s an easy thing to decide, Perk,’ 9 the 
former assured him. “If you examine the blade 
you’ll find it’s clear of rust, though far from 
bright. Now that couldn’t be the case if it had 
been exposed here for years to the damp air, such 
as would blow into the cabin with the door swung 
halfway open most of the time it’s stood empty. ’ ’ 
“I get you, Elmer; please excuse my dense igno¬ 
rance,” said Perk hurriedly. “Now I wonder 
whether he’s going to keep on hanging out around 
here until he gets back his old knife?” 

“We’ll have to put out a sign, and invite the 
chap to step up to the captain’s office and prove 
property,” Wee Willie argued whimsically after 
his fashion. “No questions asked, and no re¬ 
ward expected for finding the lost trusty blade; 
only we’d like him to clear out, and leave us 
alone. I’ve seen a bunch of tramps, and a mussy 
lot they are, taken as a whole. I always try to 
get to windward of ’em when watching how they 
manage to cook a meal in tomato-cans and such.” 
“But we saw no sign of his having had a fire 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


81 


in the cabin,’’ Perk went on to remark, reflec¬ 
tively; “and there wasn’t the first evidence of 
his having made a bed out of brush. How do you 
account for that, Elmer?” 

“Oh! he may have arrived only an hour before 
we did, and was so tired he just lay down to smoke 
and rest,” came the ready answer; for Elmer 
always seemed to have a faculty for meeting 
objections. 

“What will you do with it?” continued Perk. 

“I haven’t decided,” Elmer told him. “I may 
hit on a way to get it back into the possession of 
the owner without hunting him up. Leave that 
to me.” 

“There’s Amos coming along,” Wee Willie 
added; ‘ 4 somehow he seems to be looking a whole 
lot happier than this morning. It must have been 
his success at snapping off the bear in the beech¬ 
nut tree.” 

“Yes, that was what did it,” Elmer agreed; 
though his brow clouded, for this unexplained 
mystery that seemed to be always hanging over 
his comrade, making him so unhappy, was begin¬ 
ning to worry him considerably; he wanted to be 
of service to Amos, yet could not muster up cour¬ 
age to break in upon the other’s reserve, since 
it would seem so much like thrusting himself 


82 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

into business that did not at all concern him. 

Amos was actually smiling as he approached, 
and few of the Chester boys could truly say they 
had ever seen such a genuine look of delight 
on his sad face. 

“What do you think?’’ he burst out, excitedly, 
“I managed to get a glimpse of Mr. Mink, the very 
first of his kind I ever had the luck to see alive! 
Oh! but he’s a slick article, let me tell you, with 
his beady little eyes, and soft furry hide. And I 
planned it all out just where we ought to set the 
camera-trap to-night, Elmer, so’s to coax him to 
pull the cord, and set the flashlight going . 9 ’ 

Elmer looked at him with affection. Somehow 
he had come to care a great deal for Amos, which 
in one way was rather strange; for to most of the 
fellows the newcomer in Chester had not appealed 
at all, owing to his being such a moody fellow. 
But as is usually the case with such serious per¬ 
sons, when his face did light up in a smile it 
was wonderfully “fetching.” 

“I reckon we’ll manage to get a picture of his 
Highness, King Mink,” Elmer assured him; 
“when we’ve laid ourselves out to the limit. I 
know a few tricks along those lines, which are 
quite at your service, Amos. But see here, what 
a queer find I made in the old cabin.” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


88 


He held up the quaint pocket-knife as he said 
this, and the eyes of the other became instantly 
focussed on it. To the astonishment, almost con¬ 
sternation, of Elmer, he seemed to be immediately 
strongly affected by the sight of the late property 
of the roving tramp. 

Perk and Wee Willie also stared to notice how 
the face of Amos, actually showing a dash of 
color when he first joined them, now suddenly 
became as pale as that of a ghost. His breath 
came and went in gasps, though apparently he was 
making desperate efforts to hold himself within 
bounds, doubtless realizing how his startled com¬ 
panions must be observing him. 

‘ 1 Where did you say you found it, Elmer?” 
he finally managed to say, in what might be termed 
half gasps, while he could be seen swallowing 
something that seemed to rise in his throat, and 
threaten to choke him, poor fellow. 

“Why, in the cabin there,’’ explained the other, 
hesitatingly. “It was sticking in one of the logs 
forming the wall, between the little opening used 
as a window and the big fireplace. I think the 
hobo must have used it to cut up some hard plug 
tobacco, for it smells rank of the stuff; and then 
carelessly thrust the point into the log, before our 
coming frightened him away.” 


84 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“And, what do you think,’* Perk now managed 
to add, “Elmer believes it was to recover this old 
knife that the old tramp came back and walked 
around the cabin twice last night, looking for a 
chance to get inside. Too bad, isn’t it, Amos?” 

Amos, however, seemed to pay scant attention 
to what Perk was saying. His distended eyes 
were fastened on the article which still lay ex¬ 
posed in Elmer’s open palm. 

“But—couldn’t it have been there a long time, 
don’t you think?” he now asked, as though cling¬ 
ing to a straw; “say as much as—six or seven 
years ?’ ’ 

“I’m dead sure it hasn’t,” he was told posi¬ 
tively. “In the first place, other persons besides 
us have visited the old cabin here from time to 
time, and some one would surely have found it. 
Then again, look how smooth the steel of the 
discolored blade is; it must have rusted if it had 
been exposed to the weather for even a few 
months. Oh! no, Amos, whoever the tramp is, 
he surely put it where I found it, and this very 
night.” 

“I—guess you’re right, Elmer,” fell in trem¬ 
bling tones from the lips of the other, still looking 
peaked and white. “W—would you mind my 
looking at it?” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


85 


< ‘ Certainly not, ’ ’ said Elmer, at the same time 
thrusting the queer knife into the other’s hand, 
eagerly stretched out to receive it. 

All of them could not help hut notice how his 
hand trembled violently from some sort of emo¬ 
tion as the fingers closed about the haft of the 
knife. Evidently there was some element about 
the find of Elmer that affected Amos Codling. 
He turned the knife over, and stared hard at the 
buckhorn handle as though fairly fascinated, 
while the other three watched him with surprise 
bordering on amazement. 

While the trio continued to stand there gaping, 
Amos hastily thrust the object back into Elmer’s 
hand. He almost acted as though shuddering at 
its touch, and anxious to get it out of his pos¬ 
session. 

“Guess—I’ll go and lie down for a bit,” he 
managed to say in a fairly steady voice. “I’ve 
overdone it in tramping to-day, and feel worn 
out. Don’t bother about me, boys; I’ll—be all 
right soon.” 

With these words he stalked hurriedly into the 
cabin. 


CHAPTER IX 


THE RIGHT KIND OF PALS 

4 ‘Why, whatever can be ailing Amos?” Perk 
said softly, immediately after the strange boy 
had vanished from view inside the cabin. 

Elmer held np a warning finger. 

“Whatever you say, speak in a whisper, boys,” 
he went on to remark. 

“Gee whiz! but here’s another mystery loom¬ 
ing up!” gasped Wee Willie. “Why, Elmer, he 
seemed to recognize that old knife, don’t you 
think?” 

“It looked that way,” muttered the other, 
glancing toward the cabin with a world of com¬ 
miseration in his eyes, “and whatever the mem¬ 
ories may be it aroused, I’m afraid they couldn’t 
be happy ones.” 

“Somebody he knew once owned such a knife, 
and he asked to see it so as to make certain,” 
pursued the wise Wee Willie, reflectively. “Yes, 
and I reckon he found the proof he was looking 
for, too. Let’s see the thing again, Elmer.” 

86 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


87 


“I know what he found, all right,” the other 
assured him. “Here, you can see that there are 
two letters roughly scratched on the buckhorn 
handle . 9 ’ 

“What are the letters?” insisted the tall chum, 
who when interested in a subject was a difficult 
one to make let go. 

“No use trying to hide anything from you, Wee 
Willie , 91 Elmer replied. 4 ‘ They are not fashioned 
very elegantly, for the handle is rough, you see; 
but as near as I can make them out the letters 
are S. C.” 

The elongated boy pursed his lips as if intend¬ 
ing to whistle; but evidently thinking better of it 
failed to emit a single sound. 

“And his name, it’s Codling, remember,” he 
whispered, with a quick look over in the quarter 
where the lone cabin stood under the big tree.” 

“Yes, that looks significant for a fact,” agreed 
the deeply interested Perk, adding immediately 
afterwards, “Poor chap, I’m awful sorry for him, 
no matter what the cause of his trouble may be. 
He was looking quite happy, for him, as he told 
about that mink he discovered peeking out of its 
hole under the bank; but when he saw the knife, 
and heard what Elmer said, the smile froze on 


88 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


his face, you might almost say. I wish I could 
help him some way.” 

“None of us can do a thing until he makes the 
first move,” warned Elmer, with a determined 
shake of his head. “I’ve felt this coming for 
some time, and wished he’d make a confidant 
of me, but up to now he hasn’t seen fit to do so.” 

“Oh! what is that?” asked Perk, in almost 
awed tones. 

“I think it must be Amos sobbing, and trying 
to keep his head down in his blankets,” admitted 
Elmer, himself almost choking with the great 
desire he felt to hasten in and try to comfort his 
friend. “But we must pretend we don’t hear 
him. After a while he’ll feel better, and join 
us again, for he’s got a heap of what you might 
call grit, likewise pride, about him. Perhaps 
while we’re up here he may see fit to tell us his 
trouble, and then we’ll be able to offer to help 
him, if it’s possible.” 

Perk turned his face away. The others, know¬ 
ing his tender heart, could give a pretty good 
guess concerning what caused him to do so. 
Indeed, Wee Willie himself had to wink quite 
violently for some reason or other, and coughed 
as if he might be choking over something that 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 89 

compelled him to drag out his big red bandanna 
handkerchief, and blow his nose strenuously. 

“Of course,’’ pursued Elmer, who had been 
trying to figure things out most persistently, “it’s 
always possible that even if this is the same 
knife Amos once knew, some utter stranger may 
have left it here. Such things often pass through 
many hands in trade; or can even be stolen. 
Tramps have no sense of honor, most of us be¬ 
lieve.’ ’ 

“A tramp, greasy and ragged perhaps—ugh! 
no wonder Amos shuddered when he saw a picture 
of some one he once knew, perhaps even cared 
for, looking like that,” Wee Willie muttered, with 
a doleful shake of his head. 

“Well, we must put it all out of our minds 
for the time being,” advised Elmer. “Let’s not 
add to his suffering by showing him we ’re curious. 
As for the knife, I’ll replace it where I found it. 
I’ve got a little scheme beginning to take shape 
that may bring results; and at least get the 
thing back into the possession of the owner. ’ ’ 

Both Perk and the tall chum understood that 
this would be the wisest course for them to pur¬ 
sue. Elmer knew best how to manage things; 
they had always fared well whenever they trusted 
themselves to his guidance. 


90 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


Presently the half choked sounds from within 
the cabin ceased. Apparently the boy had man¬ 
aged to get control over his feelings, whatever it 
may have been that caused such a tempestuous 
outbreak. 

Perk and Wee Willie started preparing supper. 
The latter had tried fishing earlier in the after¬ 
noon, with more or less success; so that there 
was now a frying-pan filled with the results of 
his labor, and ready to go on the fire. Perk fairly 
beamed with pride as he feasted his eyes on the 
perch and bass, now nicely cleaned, and washed, 
and dusted with flour, before being placed in the 
hot grease that oozed from the salt pork in the 
pan. 

Elmer found something to do that would keep 
him away from the cabin, for he thought it best 
not to disturb Amos just then. The other would 
in good time “get a grip” on himself, and be 
ready to face his chums again without displaying 
unusual emotion. 

He came out while supper was cooking, and 
while he tried to smile as Perk called out and 
demanded to know if he recognized the origin of 
the delightful odor that was beginning to per¬ 
meate all the surrounding atmosphere, it was 
hardly what might be called a success. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


91 


“It seems you did catch some fish after all, 
Perk,’ ’ he said in answer; ‘ ‘ and I must say they 
do smell appetizing,’ ’ but that was the extent of 
his remarks, nor did either of the boys attempt 
to urge him to continue talking. 

Perk was full of consideration for Amos; on 
his part possibly Wee Willie may not have been 
quite so solicitous; because curiosity was one of 
the tall chum’s weak points, so that he found him¬ 
self wondering more and more what all this mys¬ 
tery, connected with the Codling boy, could 
signify. 

Supper time found them gathering around the 
camp spread. A bountiful meal had been pre¬ 
pared, such as might make the eyes of the average 
hungry boy fairly glisten with satisfaction. 

Amos ate very little. He seemed to have quite 
lost his usually keen appreciation for Perk’s 
cooking, a fact that worried the other consider¬ 
ably; for he did his best to press this thing and 
that on the other, though only to be greeted again 
with a gentle but positive refusal. 

“It’s awfully kind of you to offer me the choice 
bits, Perk,” Amos would say, “and I’m sure 
everything does you great credit. I’d be only too 
glad to eat like Wee Willie here, if only I felt 


92 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


hungry; but—well, somehow I don’t seem to care 
much for anything to-night—I can’t force myself, 
you know.” 

But he did keep on sitting there, and listening 
to the merry chatter and badinage of his three 
more boisterous chums, though frequently Elmer 
could see that his eyes had a far-away look about 

them, and the old peaked expression would strug¬ 
gle back to his face once more. 

The boys had decided to sit around the fire 
that night, and sing some of their school songs; 
but with Amos in this strange humor of course 
they could not count on him to join in; and with¬ 
out his fine tenor the singing was apt to prove 
only mediocre, so they gave it up. 

“Perhaps by to-morrow night things may have 
changed for the better, and we can try it out 

then, ” Elmer remarked, after Amos had with¬ 
drawn, under the plea that his head ached, and 
he thought he had better turn in early. 

So, instead, the other three sat there and talked 
in low tones as time passed, with the night grow¬ 
ing older. Perk often glanced quickly around at 
the somber woods. Elmer could easily interpret 
that questioning look, and knew that the other 
was wondering whether they might not have an- 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


93 


other visit from the mysterious tramp whom they 
had alarmed by their coming, and yet who declined 
to leave the spot, while some of his personal 
property remained unrecovered. 

There was no use trying to reassure Perk, for 
he happened to be more or less timid by nature. 
The door had been made additionally secure dur¬ 
ing the day just passed, so that no matter if the 
hobo did return he could not enter. As for his 
showing ill humor in any way, such as trying to 
set fire to the old cabin, Elmer would not allow 
such a thought to get a lodging in his mind. 

Then came the moon peeping in upon them, 
nearly an hour later than its appearance the 
previous night, and looking somewhat battered 
along one edge, showing how it was in its de¬ 
cline. 

4 ‘Time we’re off to our blankets,” suggested 
Elmer. 4 ‘ Here’s Perk almost dislocating his jaws 
every time he yawns. What’s the use of sitting 
up any longer when we’ve got fairly decent beds 
of hemlock browse under coverings waiting 
for us?” 

In this he was supported by both his chums, 
so they all packed off into the cabin, leaving the 
fire fixed so that it would burn for some hours. 


94 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


If the wind arose Elmer meant to step out and 
make sure no sparks were being blown into the 
underbrush; though at that summery time of year 
the chances of a conflagration might be reckoned 
next to nil. 

So the door was closed and secured, Perk and 
the elongated chum seen safely into their blankets, 
and then Elmer himself took one last look around 
before following suit. Amos seemed to be sound 
asleep; at least his eyes were closed, and he was 
breathing easily. Elmer bent over and ad¬ 
justed the other ’s blanket in a solicitous way. He 
did not know that Amos opened his eyes and 
looked after him affectionately as he turned away; 
or that there came a suspicious moisture trickling 
down the boy’s cheek that was very like a tear. 

Then darkness fell upon the scene, Elmer hav¬ 
ing shut off his little hand electric torch after he 
had tucked himself under his own blanket. 

The night passed without any sort of alarm, for 
which Perk told himself he was very thankful as 
he again opened his eyes to find that it was morn¬ 
ing, with his comrades—at least two of them— 
already outside, talking in low voices. Amos, 
however, still lay there, and seemed sound asleep. 
Perhaps he had passed a restless night, and only 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


95 


forgot his trouble in the hours of early morning. 

Perk soon emerged from the shack and joined 
the others, who were making preparations for 
breakfast. Elmer, after asking whether Amos 
seemed to still be asleep, drew closer to the others 
and followed up his question by saying: 

“Well, my plan worked after all, boys. You 
remember I said I would try to get the knife back 
into the possession of the tramp. I reckon that’s 
where it is this morning! ’ ’ 

“However did you manage that, I want to 
know?” Perk demanded, plainly surprised by 
what Elmer had said so quietly. 

“Yes, open up and tell us the secret, that’s a 
good fellow,” Wee Willie urged, as the two of 
them closed in upon Elmer. 


CHAPTER X 


AMOS DECIDES 

Appabently Elmer was ready to take the others 
into his confidence, for he immediately began to 
explain what he had done. 

“You remember that I said I’d put the knife 
back about where I found it,” he told them; 
“which was close to that hole in the wall used 
for air as a sort of window, alongside the 
chimney.” 

“Yes, I saw that you had stuck its pointed blade 
in the log; noticed that between yawns when I 
was getting ready to turn in,” admitted Perk. 

“Well, it was gone this morning,” asserted the 
other, triumphantly. 

“Yes,” objected Wee Willie instantly—they 
always said the tall chum would make a good 
lawyer, he was so ready with his objections—“but 
how do you know the tramp came back again and 
took it?” 

“Who else would?” asked the puzzled Perk. 

“Why, perhaps Amos got to thinking about it, 
not being able to sleep, and for some good reason 
chose to lay hold of the old thing,” explained Wee 
Willie blandly. 


96 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


97 


“Listen,” continued Elmer, with that quiet 
smile of his which the others knew so well spoke 
of assurance, “I considered that point myself, 
and fortunately there was a way open to prove 
my case. I’d smoothed out most of those tracks 
around the cabin, but when I came out to take a 
look, there they were again, showing the hobo had 
once more shown up.” 

“Great work!”' grunted the skeptical Wee 
Willie, now convinced beyond the shadow of a 
doubt. 

“Better still,” added Elmer, intent on rubbing 
it in while about the job, “the marks led straight 
to that little window. You remember it’s got a 
sort of shutter secured with a hasp inside; though 
air can come in because of the slits between the 
slats. Now I purposely pried an end of one slat 
loose.” 

“What for, Elmer!” queried the wondering 
but admiring Perk. 

“So any one who felt like it could thrust an 
arm through the gap, and feel around inside,” 
Elmer told him. 

“Jingo! what a bully scheme!” exclaimed 
Perk, grinning broadly; “for of course the knife 
was within reach from the opening. Now I can 
see why you feel so dead sure the persistent old 


98 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


tramp got his knife at last. Say, it does pay to 
keep everlastingly at it, eh?” 

4 ‘But why go to all that trouble just to please 
a Wandering George?” exploded Wee Willie. 
“For one, I’d have been glad to keep that queer 
contraption just as a curiosity, and so as to re¬ 
member some of the things that have happened 
to us up here at Log Cabin Bend.” 

“Just what I didn’t want to have happen,” 
Elmer told him, sternly. “I knew that as long 
as that thing was around, every time it bobbed 
up poor Amos was bound to have a bad inning. 
Now it’s gone, he may forget more or less about 
what it brought up in his mind.” 

‘ ‘ Gee! what a mixup we ’ve struck, all around, ’ ’ 
muttered the tall chum, rubbing his pointed chin 
after a habit he had when reflecting; and then 
suddenly brightening up, he continued: “but we 
mustn’t let such little things spoil our camping 
trip. Amos will get over it after a bit. We must 
all try to keep him interested in things—oh! what 
about that camera-trap business you two laid out 
to carry through last night ? ’ ’ 

“Why to be sure,” Perk chimed in, “there’s 
that cunning Mr. Mink who lost a good supper 
last night just because you forgot. And I went 
and laid a nice fish-head aside for him.” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


99 


“You’re wrong there, Perk,” Elmer assured 
him, quietly. “It wasn’t forgetfulness on my 
part; hut Amos had gone to his blanket with a 
sick headache, and I just couldn’t find the heart 
to disturb him. The trap game will keep just as 
well for to-night. In fact, if it should happen to 
be cloudy all the better, because it is on black 
nights such things can be made a success. You 
see the camera must be left with the lens exposed, 
so that when the flashlight is fired the exposure 
will be complete.” 

“Then how about daylight coming on, and find¬ 
ing it in that way, to spoil the exposed plate or 
film!” queried Perk. 

“ Oh! the photographer crank has to keep that 
in mind,” explained Elmer. “I understand ex¬ 
perts in this line, who spend all their time and 
a heap of money in the bargain going to strange 
sections of the earth, just to get such pictures 
for their collection, have devised some sort of a 
clever arrangement whereby the pull at the cord 
by the wild animal releases the shutter of the 
camera, which closes again after a certain length 
of time, protecting the exposed film against any 
light that may come along, such as the rising 
sun.” 

Just then the object of their conversation ap- 


100 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

peared, coming from the cabin. Amos looked 
haggard and worn. Evidently he had passed a 
bad night, and his three chums felt greatly con¬ 
cerned over it. 

Still, as they had agreed to act quite natural, 
they tried not to let him see what lay deep down 
in their hearts. Perk called out to him cheer¬ 
ily, to ask some natural question, and Wee Willie 
followed it up by saying: 

“We were just asking Elmer about that mink 
you saw yesterday, Amos; and he told us you’d 
certainly lay for him to-night. I never got close 
to a shy mink, and hardly know what one looks 
like; so I sure hope you do strike off a good pic¬ 
ture of his Royal Highness. I give him that 
title, you see, because his fine pelt has soared 
to what dealers call ‘abnormal prices’ in the fur 
market. ’ ’ 

“Yes,” Amos agreed, falling into Wee Willie’s 
pit, and showing something of interest, “all 
furs reached stiff prices during the World 
War. You see, so many who used to spend their 
winters trapping fur-bearing animals, in America, 
Russia, and other countries, were called to the 
colors, so the fur harvest dwindled terribly.” 

“They say it’s an ill wind that blows nobody 
good,” chirped Perk; “and what was hard on 


101 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

high-born ladies, and men who must have their 
fur-lined overcoats, was a big boon to the poor 
little hunted four-footed creatures who have to 
exercise all their intuitions so as to save their 
own coats.’’ 

“Why,” Wee Willie broke in, “right close by 
up in Muskrat Swamp around the headwaters of 
our Beaverkill River they say the little beasts 
never were one-half so plenty as this summer. I 
warrant you there’ll be many a dollar picked up 
there next winter, when some fellows I know start 
in trapping them.” 

“Muskrat Swamp,” mused Perk, reflectively, 
“do you know I’ve never had even a peep into 
that queer place, and it lying not much over 
twenty miles away from Chester in the bargain. 
Some day I hope our crowd goes up there to 
camp, and prowl around. I’d give a heap to see 
what a real swamp looks like.” 

“Not a bad idea, Perk!” called out Elmer, who 
had heard what was being said, though up to then 
for reasons of his own he had not chosen to break 
into the conversation, ‘ ‘ and we ’ll consider it later 
on. I’d like to explore that place myself, though 
I reckon we ought to have a boat of some kind 
to do the thing properly.” 

Perhaps all of them would have been consid- 


102 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


erably astonished could they have lifted the cur¬ 
tain of the immediate future, and discovered how 
soon just such a glorious opportunity was fated 
to crop up, and beckon them. 

Breakfast having been duly dispatched they set 
about the tasks of the day. The mess of fish had 
tasted so fine on the preceding night that Perk 
found little trouble about enlisting the services of 
Wee Willie in an expedition looking to a second 
installment. They had dug some angle worms, 
and soon departed for the nearby river. 

44 Don’t expect us back until near noon,” Perk 
called out, joyously. 4 4 Usually the fish stop biting 
along toward midday, but if we have a mess we 11 
show up in time for lunch.” 

44 Don 1 bother your head about that meal,” 
Elmer told him, 44 for it’s only right some one 
should spell you. We don! believe in running 
a willing horse to death. ’ ’ 

44 That’s white of you, Elmer,” Perk sent back 
over his shoulder, as he trotted along by the side 
of the striding Wee Willie, taking two steps to 
one for the long-legged chum. 

Amos hung around the camp. 

He pretended to be working with his camera, 
but Elmer noticed him casting nervous glances 
in his direction from time to time. Prom this 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


103 


he wisely concluded that Amos had something on 
his mind, and was waiting until he could screw 
his courage up to the deciding point. 

Knowing that it was the best thing to do Elmer 
simply went about his duties, whistling softly to 
himself, and paying no particular heed to Amos. 
If the other finally made up his mind to confide 
in him he felt sure no act on his part was likely 
to hasten things along. 

Doubtless the fact of the others being off for 
the morning had something to do with the deci¬ 
sion of Amos; since it gave him an opportunity 
to talk with his best chum undisturbed. 

An hour and more had gone. Still Amos sat 
there on the log. His camera lay beside him, 
and the boy was bending forward, resting his head 
upon his hand, his elbow against an adjacent tree. 

Somehow his dejected attitude stirred Elmer 
to the depths and caused him to change his mind. 
He felt that he must really make some move which 
the other could interpret as an expression of 
sympathy. As Elmer told himself: “If the 
mountain won’t come to Mahomet, then Mahomet 
must go to the mountain,” which would be the 
same thing in the end. He walked over to where 
Amos sat. 

If the other heard his footfalls he gave no evi- 


104 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


dence of the fact save perhaps a twitching of his 
free hand which lay on his knee. Elmer was ap¬ 
proaching from the rear. He hardly knew what 
he meant to do except to come in personal contact 
with his chum. In times of trouble the touch of a 
friendly hand may mean everything to the one in 
mental distress, bringing fresh hope, and a re¬ 
newal of the courage necessary to grapple with 
difficulties. 

So, reaching the other, Elmer put his hand on 
his drooping shoulder. 

“Amos, can I help you in any way, old fellow V 9 

The words were boylike, but sincere, as though 
they welled straight up from the heart of the 
speaker. They acted like a spur upon the quiver¬ 
ing lad, who sprang to his feet wildly, and clutch¬ 
ing Elmer’s ready hand squeezed it convulsively 
as he exclaimed in a voice broken with emotion: 

“Oh! Elmer I just can't stand it alone any 
longer! I didn’t want to tell a living soul, but it’s 
too much for me, yes, far too much! And I’ve 
made up my mind to explain what all this mystery 
means about that queer knife. Elmer, it once 
belonged to —my own father, who’s been away for 
seven years, and all of us have believed him to 
be dead.” 


CHAPTER XI 


CLEARING SKIES 

Elmer continued to hold the other’s quivering 
hand firmly in his clasp. 

“Try to control your feelings as much as you 
can, Amos, old boy,” he went on saying in his 
comforting fashion. “And don’t tell me anything 
that you may regret. You can depend on it, 
though, that I’ll respect your confidence, and not 
even mention it to Perk and Wee Willie, without 
your permission.” 

“Oh! but I want them to know all about it too!” 
said Amos, looking up, and winking his eyes vio¬ 
lently, “because it’s only right. I hope, ever so 
much, that you won’t despise me for s-s-sailing 
under f-f-false colors, that’s all.” 

“It’s nothing you have done, I’m sure of that, 
Amos,” said the staunch chum, resolutely, “and 
that’s all we count. You’re not to be held re¬ 
sponsible for the actions of some one else. Now, 
go on and tell me what you think best. ” 

He stepped over the log and sat down, drawing 
Amos alongside. Throwing an arm about the 
other’s shoulder, Elmer waited to hear the sad 

105 


106 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

story, which in truth he could already more than 
half guess. 

“Is it all about some trouble your father got 
himself into, Amos?” he asked, seeing that the 
other hardly knew just how to begin. 

“Yes, yes, that’s it!” sighed Amos. “My 
father was never known to do mean things, but 
he certainly did slip up once, and everything came 
from that terrible mistake. Just like a good many 
others do who are tempted, he took money that 
didn’t belong to him, expecting to put it back 
when a certain deal was carried through; but 
something happened that turned the tide the 
wrong way, and he found himself—a defaulter!” 

“Yes,” said Elmer, soothingly, “it is a sad 
thing for you to remember; since you must have 
cared a great deal for your father, judging from 
what you say, and how you still suffer. ’ ’ 

“I loved him, we all did, for up to that time 
he had always been good to us,” Amos confessed. 
“It was in hopes of bettering the condition of his 
family that tempted him to do that terrible thing, 
too, mother has said since, a thousand times.” 

“He went away, you said, didn’t you?” con¬ 
tinued Elmer, when the other paused as if lost in 
contemplation of the distant past. 

“Yes, to avoid being arrested, and bringing 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


107 


shame on his family,” came the answer. “I shall 
never forget that awful day as long as I live, 
though I was pretty young then, hardly ten. It 
came like a hurricane out of a clear sky, father 
showing up, and looking almost crazy, telling 
mother all about it, and that he must go away to 
try to redeem himself. 

“He left her all the money he had, and told her 
to take us children to an old aunt of hers, who 
had means. Father vowed that he would make 
no attempt to communicate with her, or ever come 
back, unless he could square himself with the firm 
whose confidence he had abused. 

“From that terrible day to this we have never 
once heard from him. Mother fully believes he 
has long been dead. She often talks of him to me 
as we sit in the gloaming, and her thoughts go 
back to the happy days of her young married life. 
I have his gold watch, left for me, but which, of 
course, I shall not carry until I am grown up and 
in business. 

“The old aunt died shortly after we came to 
live with her, and left her property to my mother, 
whom she dearly loved. It was enough to keep us 
fairly comfortable, though we have to count the 
dollars; and I may yet have to leave school and 
go to work, so as to help out. 


108 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“There, now you know everything, Elmer; do 
you think you still care to be chummy with the 
son of--” 

i ‘ Stop right there, Amos! ’ ’ commanded Elmer, 
gruffly, for he was in reality almost choking with 
emotion himself in sympathy with the poor chap 
at his side, who wanted so to cling to him, and 
yet determinedly pushed himself away, as if feel¬ 
ing not worthy to associate with fellows upon 
whose heads no such dark shadow rested. “If 
anything, you’re more my chum than ever. A 
pretty pal I’d be to hold back when you’re in 
need of sympathy. And both Perk and Wee 
Willie will say the same thing, you can bank 
on it.” 

Amos drew a long lingering breath as of in¬ 
tense relief. He also seemed on the point of 
breaking down again, seeing which Elmer has¬ 
tened to add: 

“Now brace up, old fellow, and begin to be¬ 
lieve things may not be quite so black as they 
seem. One thing you can depend on, that not 
a living soul in all Chester will ever know about 
your trouble through any of us. We’ll keep your 
secret, and not even drop a hint to our folks at 
home. You’re certain about that knife once be¬ 
ing your father’s, are you Amos?” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


109 


“Oh! absolutely !’ 9 exclaimed the other; “I’d 
know it anywhere, for it used to be a great wonder 
to me. Besides, I saw his initials scratched on 
the handle, just as in the old days. Father had 
owned that knife a long time, and used to think 
a heap of it.” 

Elmer remembering how the unknown tramp 
had hung around all this time just to recover 
the knife, could not help feeling that the present 
possessor must also have considerable affection 
for the thing, whoever he might turn out to be. 

“But during seven years it could easily have 
fallen into other hands, you understand,” con¬ 
tinued Elmer. 6 ‘ It might have been lost, or stolen, 
in fact, passed through a variety of adventures 
by now. ’ ’ 

“I think you mean to say that if my father 
died some one with him at the time would have 
taken possession of the knife,” remarked Amos, 
again drawing a long breath; “which is perfectly 
true. I am not saying that I believe the tramp 
to be my poor unfortunate dad; but it was the 
sight of the knife turning up in this queer way 
after all these years that unnerved me so.” 

“What sort of a man was your father, Amos 
—I mean did he happen to be tall, or short; and 
was he athletic or otherwise?” continued Elmer, 


110 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


evidently with some object in view; at least the 
other suspected as much, for he turned to look 
inquiringly into his face before answering. 

“Why,” Amos went on presently, “you see, he 
never could play football or baseball when a boy 
because he had one leg a bit shorter than the 
other. This didn’t interfere with his walking 
at all; because I’ve tramped many miles along¬ 
side him, for we were always—quite—chummy.” 

“Was it his left leg that was the shorter!” 
pursued Elmer. 

“That isn’t just a guess, is it!” demanded the 
other; “you seem to know, Elmer! Tell me what 
it means, oh! please do!” 

Elmer looked at him rather uncertainly. Then, 
as if making up his mind he had no business to 
hold back anything from a chum, he went on to 
explain. 

“You know I pride myself somewhat on my 
woodcraft knowledge, Amos; and it was easy for 
me to discover that the unknown—er, party who 
has been hanging about our camp here, hoping 
to recover that knife, had a short left leg; for 
his right foot always showed much more plainly 
than the other.” 

Amos groaned. 

“Then it is he!” he muttered. “Poor dad, and 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


111 


poor mother! Oh! what wouldn ’t I give, if I had 
never been tempted to ccme up here with you to 
Log Cabin Bend. Then perhaps I’d still he con¬ 
tented in believing that he had long ago ceased to 
suffer in body and mind.” 

“Will you tell your mother when you go back 
home, Amos?” 

“Had I better, do you think?” he asked, almost 
desperately. 

“You must settle that for yourself, Amos. 
Think it over before you decide one way or the 
other. Your first consideration should be the 
happiness of the mother you love so much. Will 
it do any good to share your secret with her; or 
must it reopen old wounds that time has partly 
healed ? 19 

“That’s it!” muttered Amos, shaking his head 
sadly. “I know how she will begin to lie awake 
nights again like she did before, and look so sor¬ 
rowful, always watching down the road as if half 
hoping to see him come limping along, waving his 
hand to us, as he did every night when returning 
from the office. Yes, I mustn’t be rash: I would 
cut my hand off sooner than do a thing to make 
my mother cry as she used to years ago.” 

Elmer began to see that possibly it might be 
up to him to try to get in touch with the tramp, 


112 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


and learn just who and what he was. He could 
understand what a cruel shock it must be to Amos 
even to suspect that his father could reach the 
low level of a common wanderer on the face of 
the earth, a hobo! 

“You meant it when you said you wanted Perk 
and Wee Willie to know about this matter, did 
you, Amos?” he asked presently. 

“Yes, I insist on it,” said the other, hastily. 
“Pm tired of sailing under false colors. If my 
chums all know my sad story it must be up to 
them to decide whether they want to keep up 
their contact with me, or drop me. But you must 
tell them, Elmer; I couldn’t have the heart to 
go over it all again.” 

“I promise you I will, now you’ve given me 
permission, Amos; and make your mind easy. I 
know both of our pards too well to doubt what 
they’ll surely do. They may not be able to say 
much, but their actions will speak louder than 
words.” 

*‘ You ’re all the finest chums any one could ever 
have, and it’d nearly break my heart if you turned 
back on me. Do you know, I’ve had the queerest 
things flit through my mind while thinking it 
all over.” 

“Such as what, Amos?” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


113 


“For one thing I would picture my father 
crouching in the bushes off yonder and staring 
hard at us while we sat around the campfire 
last night, yet not daring to join the circle. I 
even wondered, Elmer, whether he could recog¬ 
nize me, for I’ve changed a lot in these seven 
years, of course; and how he must have felt at 
not being able to make himself known, just be¬ 
cause he thinks that old charge still hangs over 
his head.” 

“But doesn’t it?” demanded Elmer, suddenly 
thrilled somehow. 

“Why, of course not,” said Amos, simply. 
“When mother came into the property of her old 
aunt, one of the first things she did was to have 
an interview with the head of the firm my father 
used to be with. She found out the amount of his 
defalcation, and paid it. That was what cut down 
our allowance so, and made us scrimp sometimes; 
but my mother always gloried in clearing his 
name. Oh, if he is only alive, and could learn that, 
what might not happen?” 

“Courage, Amos!” said Elmer, “you’ve 
boosted the game a heap in telling me that.” 


CHAPTER XII 


SETTING THE TRAP 

Already Amos was looking much better. The 
hope that Elmer dangled before his wondering 
eyes grew in proportion to his ability to grasp 
its possibilities. 

If it turned out that his wandering father were 
really in the vicinity, surely some way could be 
found to get in touch with him, so that he might 
learn how the cloud on his name had been wiped 
out years ago, and that he might have come back 
to his dear ones, if only they had had any clue 
concerning his whereabouts. 

The two boys sat there on the log for almost 
an hour, talking, and trying to form some plan 
whereby this could be effected. Elmer had found 
the best medicine in all the world for his chum's 
uplifting; Amos no longer looked as discouraged 
as before, and even laughed a little at something 
humorous the loyal companion related for this 
very purpose. 

Elmer, too, was greatly relieved. Why, after 
all, the situation was a whole lot better than he 
had dared hope. He became possessed of an 

114 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


115 


overwhelming ambition to find the tramp, and 
bring him the joyous news. Already in imagina¬ 
tion Amos was picturing the joy that would fill 
his mother’s heart if the wanderer could only be 
brought back home again, after doing penance so 
long for his delinquency. 

Afterwards Amos took to making little excur¬ 
sions through the neighboring timber on one ex¬ 
cuse or another, though it was not difficult for 
Elmer to understand that he indulged in a wild 
hope a voice might call to him from out of some 
copse, and his father appear in sight, unable to 
resist the longing to meet his boy once more. 

But no such happy event came to pass, though 
Amos continued his walks, so as to scour the 
neighborhood in every direction. 

During one of his absences from camp Perk 
and Wee Willie came in, bearing quite a noble 
string of perch and bass and catfish, which they 
had succeeded in catching through persistent 
efforts. 

Elmer took advantage of the opportunity while 
Amos was away to tell the two others the whole 
story as related to him. 

Of course, they were both intensely interested, 
and frequently interrupted the narrative to ex¬ 
press their sympathy for the comrade in distress, 


116 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

as well as to vow that not a word of it all should 
pass their lips. 

“But, say, it may not be so bad after all, ,, Wee 
Willie hastened to remark, when it had been told. 
“If the amount taken has been made good then 
there can be no charge against Mr. Codling, and 
he could walk down the street of the city where 
they used to live without being bothered anyway. 
But then, to be sure he doesn’t know about this, 
and still believes the Law is looking for him.” 

“It cuts Amos to the quick to fancy his father 
as a common vagrant,” continued Elmer. “Never 
mention that part of it to him if you happen to 
be speaking about these things.” 

“Huh!” mused Perk, pursing up his mouth 
thoughtfully, “I reckon the world has kept on 
treating Mr. Codling rough all these years. The 
prosperity he went off to find never came his way, 
and by degrees he’s given up all hope, as these 
hoboes nearly always do, trying to forget the past, 
so I’ve understood. Do you think he could be 
rounded up, Elmer?” 

“I’m going to try to make it come out that way,” 
was the quick reply, “although I don’t know yet 
just what plan I’ll adopt. Once we got in touch 
with him it would be easy, I guess. He might 
try to hold out, ashamed to have the wrong wiped 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


117 


out through his wife, and not by his own efforts; 
but he couldn’t fight long against being towed into 
a safe harbor, after seven years of roving and 
up against hard times. ,, 

“I hear Amos whistling as he comes along,’’ 
said Wee Willie just then; “and it’s really the 
first time he’s done such a thing since we started 
on this camping trip. Shows he must be feeling 
a heap better already.” 

“He is,” said Elmer, as he broke away from 
the two who were cleaning their string of fish, 
with the intention of having some of them for the 
midday meal. 

“Because,” explained Perk, sagaciously, “fish 
ought to almost jump from the water into the 
frying-pan; you can’t get them too fresh to please 
me. And, say, I do just love ’em to beat the 
band! ’ ’ 

During the balance of the day they found 
numerous things to claim their attention, as is 
always the case when fellows who know the game 
are in camp. For instance, Wee Willie claimed 
that he was tired of eating off the ground, and 
proposed making some sort of rude but service¬ 
able table that would be much more homelike. 

“And while you’re doing that job,” Amos told 
him, “perhaps Perk and myself could hatch up 


118 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


some kind of seats to use when we have to stay 
indoors, and can’t squat on these two logs.” 

This idea pleased Perk very much, for if there 
was one thing he liked, and felt bound to have 
whenever possible, it was solid comfort. 

“I never did see the sense of making a martyr 
out of yourself all the time you happened to be 
away from home, and in the woods, ’ * he observed 
sagaciously when on the subject; “so some fel¬ 
lows might call me a sissy, or an old maid be¬ 
cause I insist on fetching along certain things 
like my tooth brush, and a few more necessities.” 

“Huh! like this, for instance, I suppose?” 
chuckled Wee Willie, appearing at the door of the 
cabin just then, and holding up an object which 
caused Elmer to laugh outright, and even Amos 
to smile indulgently. 

“Oh! That’s my trousers’ creaser and 
stretcher,” blandly admitted Perk, with a grin; 
“but honest to goodness I never meant to fetch it 
along; and I don’t see how ever it got among my 
traps unless my sister Sue did it; she’s as full 
of mischief as an egg is of meat, and would think 
it a good joke on me to find what I’d gone and 
lugged all the way into the woods. Think of me 
creasing this horrible pair of pants, will you?” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


119 


So they acquitted honest Perk of any evil inten¬ 
tion along the line of playing the dude when in 
camp. But of course Wee Willie would lose no 
opportunity to plague him about his “stretchers” 
while they were at Log Cabin Bend. 

During the early afternoon Elmer disappeared. 

He had told no one of his intention, and indeed 
they did not really miss him until he had been 
gone some time. 

“Where do you think he’s off to?” Perk asked 
the tall chum, for he had left Amos to complete 
a rude chair upon which they were working, and 
strolled over to where Wee Willie was putting 
the finishing touches on their dining-table, an ex¬ 
ceedingly rustic affair, but which promised to 
be fairly serviceable. 

“Oh! that’s an easy one,” replied the other, 
in a low tone, and with a cautious look toward 
Amos. “You remember he said he meant to try 
to locate the man with the queer knife, if he 
chanced to be still hanging around in this neigh¬ 
borhood.” 

“But why should he stay, now he’s got back 
his property, eh, Wee Willie?” persisted the 
stout boy. 

“Huh! that’s harder to answer, I admit,” he 
was told; “unless he did chance to recognize Amos 


120 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


while we sat around by the blaze of the campfire, 
and has been unable to tear himself away. But I 
leave that to Elmer; if any one can unearth the 
tramp he will. ,, 

“He nearly always does suceed in anything he 
undertakes, ’’ assented Perk, with a charming dis¬ 
play of blind confidence in the absent chum. 

Elmer did not come back for nearly two hours, 
and even then he gave them no hint as to whether 
or not he had met with any sort of success in his 
scouring of the timber in search of the mysterious 
lurker. Perk was for asking him, but Wee Willie 
displayed his accustomed shrewdness when ad¬ 
vising against such a course. 

“If Elmer wants to share anything with us 
depend on it he will, Perk; and until he makes a 
move that way we ’d better keep mum,’ 7 was what 
he told the other; and Perk, easily influenced, 
must have thought it good enough advice to fol¬ 
low, for he made no effort to “pump” Elmer. 

They had their supper, and some time later 
Elmer, turning to Amos, remarked: 

“How about that camera-trap business, Amos; 
feel like sauntering over to the bank where you 
glimpsed that cunning old mink, and setting 
things up for getting a snapshot of the timid 
hermit?” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 121 

Amos jumped to his feet instantly, his eyes 
glistening. 

“I certainly would like to, Elmer, thank you; 
and so I ’ll hustle and get my outfit, camera, flash¬ 
light pan, and all the apparatus necessary. Per¬ 
haps I startled the old chap when I looked in on 
him; but by now he’s had plenty of time to get 
over his scare.” 

“How about you, Perk?” continued the leader; 
“you saved one of those fish-heads as I asked you 
to, didn’t you?” 

“Three of ’em, Elmer; you’ll find them dang¬ 
ling by a string from that limb of the hickory 
sapling yonder.” 

“We’ll toss the others as far away from camp 
as we can,” continued Elmer; “else we may be 
bothered with an army of ’coons fighting each 
other while trying to locate the prize their scent 
tells them is around here. ’ ’ 

He and Amos started off, and were soon at the 
spot. A creek, it seemed, ran into the Beaver^ 
kill at that point, and it was really under the 
bank of this the hermit mink lived in a hole that 
doubtless had many side passages. 

Elmer examined the ground thoroughly, and 
then they decided just where it would be best 


122 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


to place the camera trap. The pan and flashlight 
cartridge could lie flat on the ground just along¬ 
side, and the cord that upon being jerked would 
cause the firing of the flashlight ran out to a 
certain pbint that Amos said would be in exact 
focus. 

All these preparations were carried out with 
as little noise as possible, the boys seldom com¬ 
municating while at work save in whispers; for 
they did not wish to frighten the timid game, 
doubtless at the time deep down in his burrow 
under the rocks and earth of the creek bank. 

Finally everything necessary had been carried 
out. Amos went over it all for the last time, and 
concluded that he could not better the arrange¬ 
ments in any possible manner. 

Accordingly they left the spot, Amos with the 
avowed intention of being out at first peep of 
dawn so as to make sure the shutter of the camera 
was closed before sunlight could destroy the re¬ 
sult of their clever trick. 


CHAPTER XIII 


THE AWAKENING OF PERK 

Because Amos was feeling much more cheerful 
they sang some that night. Perhaps the great 
woods up at Log Cabin Bend had never before 
echoed with the rare melody of four boyish voices. 
The little four-footed furry denizens of the forest 
must surely have listened in sheer amazement to 
catch the unwonted sounds floating through the 
leafy aisles, and believed that their solitude was 
indeed a thing of the past. 

It was mostly rollicking school songs, inter¬ 
mingled with some of the popular military airs of 
the war time that they favored. Elmer saw to it 
that in no case did they switch to anything that 
had a touch of sadness about it. He wanted Amos 
to forget his troubles as much as possible, not hug 
them to his heart. 

Fortunately it proved to be a peaceful night, 
with no trace of coming storm, which was a good 
thing for the photographic experiment. 

At peep of dawn, Elmer waked just in time 
to catch a glimpse of Amos stealing out of the 

123 


124 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


cabin, he having managed to get the door open 
without making much noise. Although Elmer 
raised his head he did not utter a sound to let 
the other know he had been observed; for he 
knew very well that Amos had his camera in mind, 
and was heading for the spot where it had been 
set ready for Mr. Mink. 

On the return of the other bearing his ap¬ 
paratus Elmer was up and outside getting the 
fire started. It needed no question on his part to 
decide that some sort of success had come to the 
ardent photographer. 

“He visited the trap, Elmer, for a fact!” Amos 
was saying, his face showing signs of consider¬ 
able satisfaction. “The flashlight had burned; 
and then too the fish-head bait was gone. I think 
he managed to work it clear of the cord; but he 
deserved it, sure he did, the cunning little var¬ 
mint. Oh! I’m fairly wild to see what I got 
out of it!” 

“Hold your horses until we’ve had breakfast, 
Amos,” the other advised him. “Then you can 
have the cabin to work in, when you start develop¬ 
ing. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find you’d 
made a big hit. ’ ’ 

“I used to think once I cared a heap to wander 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


125 


the fields with a gun, and if I could only fetch 
home some game in my bag, a rabbit, partridge, 
gray squirrel, or quail I felt might proud of my 
skill; but I can plainly see Ill never again find 
any happiness in killing. This sort of hunting 
with a camera has got it all beat to a frazzle.’ ’ 

“The beauty of it is,” remarked Elmer, “that 
you can still be on friendly terms with the little 
animals of woods and swamp, and at the same 
time secure your greatest triumphs. If that pic¬ 
ture turns out good, I reckon you 11 take ten times 
as much pleasure showing it, than if you’d 
trapped the mink, and had taken his poor little 
pelt to sell for a few dollars.” 

“Oh! Pm sure of that, Elmer. And I can 
see that there are really unlimited possibilities 
about this wonderful game. Just think how proud 
a man might be if he had an album crowded with 
such pictures, which he had collected all over the 
world, showing animals and birds in their native 
haunts, yes, telling how they lived, and reared 
their young. I guess the disease has got a firm 
hold on me, and I’ll never go back to hunting with 
a gun again.” 

Other boys than Amos Codling have discovered 
the same thing; and many an innocent little crea- 


126 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


ture living in the haunts of the wilderness owes its 
continued existence to the lure and fascination to 
be found in hunting with a camera. 

When Amos came out of the cabin, after being 
shut up there an hour or more, he was looking 
decidedly pleased. 

“It turned out gilt-edged, Elmer!” he ex¬ 
claimed, holding up something with an air of con¬ 
siderable pride. “And, believe me, this negative 
is so strong it’s bound to make a splendid print. 
You can see what looks like an expression of sur¬ 
prise on the mink’s phiz when that dazzling flash 
came. Yes, and he’s tugging at the string we 
tied the fish-head to, for all that’s out!” 

Each of the others took a look, and decided that 
it was indeed a prize negative. Considering the 
fact that it had been secured under such strange 
conditions, the contrasts were remarkably clean 
cut. 

Amos was much encouraged by his initial suc¬ 
cess. Already he was doubtless laying ambitious 
plans looking to further triumphs along the line 
of what he was pleased to style “auto-photog¬ 
raphy,” because each sitter must of necessity 
snap off his own picture. 

Still, as the morning advanced Elmer could not 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 127 

help noticing that now and then Amos would al¬ 
low his gaze to wander to this or that point. 
Perhaps he may have been figuring out his next 
step in the campaign; but Elmer, noting the 
anxious expression once more upon the other’s 
face, decided that Amos was thinking of his 
father. 

Perk had developed a sudden interest in woods 
lore. Up to then this subject had never interested 
him to any extent; in fact, he had been more apt 
to display concern over a rabbit in the pot, than 
one bounding over its native heath. 

He now learned that there was a world of 
deeply instructive things to be picked up in con¬ 
nection with all these smaller creatures. Once 
Elmer and Wee Willie, that afternoon, began to 
give up some of the knowledge they had acquired, 
Perk started a flow of questions that seemed 
capable, like the poet’s brook, of “running on 
forever.” 

The boys were good-natured, and really felt 
disposed to encourage Perk in his pursuit of 
knowledge. It might be a turning point in the 
career of easy-going Perk. Curiosity, along these 
lines, once aroused awakens interest, and begets 
a desire to know more and more, until all ani- 


128 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


mated nature takes on a new and lively character. 

“Well, now,” for one thing Perk remarked, 
“I’ve seen a rabbit start running when I crossed 
a field, and then act queer, as if suddenly lame. 
[Yes, I can remember chasing bunny, and nearly 
overtaking the little bunch with the cottontail; 
when all at once it’d spin away like lightning, 
leaving me out of breath, and feeling foolish. So 
that was all a sharp trick, was it, Elmer?” 

“A very common one, played by mother par¬ 
tridges as well as rabbits,” he was assured. “It 
was done just to draw you away from that clump 
of grass, out of which the bunny jumped in the 
start. If you’d gone there you’d have found a 
nest of young rabbits too small to escape. The 
mother was ready to risk her own life in order 
to save her babies.” 

Perk was deeply impressed. 

“Why, I wouldn’t have hurt one of them for 
anything,” he insisted; “but then the old lady 
couldn’t know that, could she? To think of such 
devotion even in an humble bunny! Why, it would 
shame a good many human parents, that’s right. 
And you say partridges do something the same, 
eh?” 

“A common trick,” Wee Willie hastened to re- 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


129 


mark. “Many a time in the summer, or early in 
the fall before hunting time came, I’ve had a bird 
suddenly flutter out on the woods trail before me, 
and act as if she had a broken wing. I used to 
chase after her at first, until I got wise to her 
sly trick. She’d let me almost grab her, and then 
just flip on a little further, all the while luring 
me ahead; then all of a sudden she’d recover the 
use of that broken wing and go off with a buzz.” 

“And did you find young partridges where she 
came from?” pursued Perk, with round eyes, and 
partly open mouth, as though he had begun to 
experience a forerunner of the strange fascina¬ 
tion that a knowledge of all these wonderful things 
has for the lover of the Open. 

“Lots of times,” Wee Willie promptly replied; 
“but I give you my word for it, I was never guilty 
of trying to knock over a single one of the fright¬ 
ened brood when they scattered like crazy little 
things. Later on, I even refused to bother ’em in 
the least; though when the season opened I would 
take my gun, and hunt as well as the next one.” 

“Gee! I wish I could sight something like 
that, ’ ’ Perk was saying. 11 Do you think there are 
partridges around this place, Wee Willie?” 

“I’ve heard ’em drumming more’n a few times, 


130 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

Perk; and Elmer here said he’d flushed several 
when roaming around.’ 9 

“But would any mother bird be apt to have her 
brood so late in the summer, do you expect V 9 
continued the other persistently; for when an 
idea did find lodgment in Perk’s brain it stuck 
most stubbornly. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised, for they say this was 
a late season, on account of so much rain early in 
the summer, that drowned out lots of nests. We 
might be lucky enough to run across one of these 
self-sacrificing old mother birds while up here at 
Log Cabin Bend.” 

“Huh! hope I’m along if it does happen,” 
grunted Perk. “I never dreamed that you could 
learn such queer and interesting things just by 
keeping your eyes and ears open when in the 
woods. After this I’m going to investigate for 
myself. Seems like I’d just begun to scrape the 
scales off my eyes; for, say, I must have been 
blind never to have paid any attention to these 
things before.” 

Elmer was delighted to hear Perk say this. He 
had himself tried more than a few times to get the 
other interested in those very things, but without 
success. Just what it was that had finally turned 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


131 


the trick he could not say. Perhaps the hour had 
struck for Perk to wake up; then again the sight 
of Amos beaming with joy over the success of his 
night effort may have set the match to Perk's 
slumbering ambition. No matter what the cause, 
Elmer was vastly pleased at the result. 

The boys were not idle by any means as the day 
passed on. They found numerous things to oc¬ 
cupy their time and attention. Some of these 
tended to improve the conditions; little con¬ 
veniences were arranged as conceived, which were 
calculated to lighten the burden of getting meals; 
or else render their sleeping accommodation^ 
more comfortable. 

So the afternoon began to wane. 

Wee Willie and Elmer had been observing a 
perceptible change that was coming over the 
weather. In fact the day had been unusually hot, 
even for late summertime, and after summing up 
various portentous facts the weather sharps came 
to the conclusion that before another dawn they 
were likely to have a chance to test the rainproof 
qualities of their newly patched cabin roof. 

“Something brooding, that's certain," Wee 
Willie asserted, as he mopped his perspiring 
brow, having been chopping wood a short time 


132 t THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

before, with the result that the perspiration was 
standing out in heads. 

“Did Perk go fishing again V 9 asked Elmer; 
“I’ve missed him for some time now.” 

“I don’t think so,” the other replied, “for 
there’s his jointed rod standing over against the 
cabin right now. I remember seeing him walk off; 
and come to think of it he went toward the east, 
and the river lies to the west here.” 

They looked at each other, with a growing un¬ 
easiness. 

“Ten to one,” asserted Wee Willie, “Perk’s 
gone off on a little tramp in hopes of starting a 
mother partridge whirring before him. You 
know what he is when he gets any sort of notion 
in his head.” 

“But we ought to have warned him against 
doing that, ’ ’ Elmer hurriedly said, 4 ‘ remembering 
how one of his besetting sins has always been to 
get lost!” 

With the prospect of a storm ahead they saw 
reason to feel concerned over Perk’s continued 
absence. 


CHAPTER XIV 


A STIRRING NIGHT AHEAD 

“Pm afraid we’re in for trouble about Perk, 
Elmer,’ 9 the tall chum observed, his freckled face 
set in a frown. 

“Nothing serious, so far,” he was told, for 
Elmer did not believe in “conjuring up ghosts” 
as he termed Wee Willie’s habit of anticipating 
calamities that might never come to pass. 
“Plenty of time still for Perk to come in before 
we start getting supper; and besides the storm 
hasn’t shown a sign so far.” 

i ‘ But we know how easy it always has been for 
Perk to lose his bearings in the woods, ’ ’ persisted 
the other camper. “Many a time before now 
we’ve had to go out and locate him. Seems as if 
Perk never will learn how to take care of him¬ 
self.” 

“He’s just waking up,” remarked Elmer; “and 
may surprise some of us yet, once he gets started. 
Still, it wouldn’t do any harm to give an occa¬ 
sional shout. If he hasn’t got beyond earshot it 
might help him locate the camp again.” 

133 


134 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

“I second the motion; and here goes for a 
starter.’’ 

With that Wee Willie lifted up his strong voice, 
and gave a shrill yell that could doubtless have 
carried a mile away. Amos came hurrying out of 
the cabin as if wondering what was going on. He 
seemed relieved to find his two chums standing 
there. 

“Why, you did give me such a start!” he 
declared. “I even thought that lunatic might 
have hopped in, and tackled Wee Willie. What’s 
all the shouting for?” 

“Perk’s wandered off again, and we thought 
he might stray away, so we’re meaning to take 
turns in letting out a bazoo whoop to guide him 
this way,” explained Wee Willie, with a grin. 
“If he was within a mile I reckon he heard that 
clarion call of mine, eh, Amos?” 

“Yes, and it ought to tell him which way the 
cabin lies, ’ ’ returned the other, confidently. ‘ 4 But 
we must keep it up, for Perk, even if he started 
right, would be apt to swing to the left, like most 
fellows do in the woods when they haven’t learned 
the trick of keeping a direct line.” 

“Every three minutes by the watch one of us 
must shout,” decided Elmer. 

This program was kept up for half an hour. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


13 5 


Several times they would fancy there was a more 
or less feeble response, so that the shouting was 
quickly resumed; but after straining their hearing 
to the utmost they finally felt compelled to admit 
that this must have been only a vivid imagination. 

“I sure heard something answer that last yell,” 
Wee Willie affirmed, stubbornly; “but then it may 
only have been an owl up in some old dead tree- 
top; or a cawing crow some distance away.” 

“How long ought we keep this thing up, 
Elmer?” inquired Amos. 

“Not more than another half hour,” came the 
reply. 

“And if nothing happens then?” 

“We’ll have to start out and try to locate 
Perk,” he was told. 

‘ ‘ I saw him leave camp, and he went that way, ’ ’ 
with which Amos pointed to a certain quarter; at 
which Wee Willie nodded, and hastened to add: 

“Yes, I was telling Elmer here I saw him walk 
away, and he went in the direction of the east, 
which wasn’t toward the river at all. I don’t know 
how it came I seemed to take it for granted Perk 
was going fishing; must have had something on 
my mind at the time, and didn’t notice that he 
hadn’t his rod along. What makes things worse 
is that storm!” 


136 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“Storm!” echoed Amos, staring around; “why, 
it’s as blue as indigo overhead right now; where’s 
your storm, Wee Willie?” 

“We seem to feel one coming in our bones,” 
explained the other. “Sometimes, you know you 
can tell that one’s due by certain signs. And if 
you look sharp you’ll see clouds gathering over 
in the southwest; which is the quarter most of our 
big summer storms spring from.” 

Amos did look, and then shook his head as if 
dismayed at the prospect. 

“I’m sorry for Perk, that’s all,” he remarked. 

“Oh there isn’t so much chance of anything 
serious overtaking him,” Elmer hastily assured 
him. “ To be sure he’s likely to get well drenched, 
and perhaps the thunder and lightning, as well as 
falling trees around him, may make it unpleasant 
for Perk; but that’s really the extent of it. If he 
wanders far he’s apt to get out of the timber 
belt, and run on some farm-house where he could 
get shelter, food and ditto a bed.” 

“Yes, no one could ever refuse him anything 
he asked for, what with that winning smile of 
his,” said Amos. 

They continued shouting at more frequent in¬ 
tervals, until all of them began to get quite hoarse; 
but there was no perceptible result. The second 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


137 


half hour thus began to draw toward a close. 

“All useless, seems like!” admitted Wee Willie 
in disgust. 

“Yes,” Elmer observed, “we’re wasting time 
doing this, when we’d have shown better judg¬ 
ment in starting out a while ago. Knowing 
Perk’s failing as we do, we ought to have made 
up our minds that sooner or later we’d have to go 
out after him.” 

He had seen to it that the single lantern they 
carried with them to the woods was well filled 
with oil from the extra bottle. 

“Who’s going along?” Wee Willie now asked. 

“I thought at first two of us would be enough,” 
said Elmer, “but changed my mind, and so we’ll 
go in a bunch”; at which information Amos 
looked pleased, for he had feared they would 
figure him out of the game. 

“I’ll fix my camera so it can’t possibly get wet, 
if the storm comes, and the old roof drips in spite 
of all our fixing,” he hurriedly called out, darting 
inside the cabin. 

“Not afraid about leaving our things un¬ 
guarded, are you?” asked Wee Willie. “It would 
be a joke on us if that lunatic happened around, 
and cleaned us out of everything.” 


138 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“We’ll have to take chances on that,” Elmer 
decided, “but I reckon there isn’t much danger. 
We can close the door, and wedge it fast, so that 
any one’d believe it was barred inside, and that 
some of ns were at home.” 

“You said it, Elmer,” chuckled the other, 
“takes you to think up clever little schemes right 
along. I suppose we can expect to get a good 
ducking before we’re through this job.” 

“Oh! well, we’re not made of sugar or salt, 
Wee Willie; and we’d stand much more than that 
for Perk!” 

“I should think we would!” quickly declared 
the tall chum, energetically, as though anxious to 
put himself on record. “Why, I’d go through fire 
and water for him, and think little of it. I’m 
only worrying for fear something might happen 
to Perk, something serious you know.” 

“Yes, such as a tree falling on him in the 
storm,” Elmer added, “or his breaking a leg by 
tripping over a trailing vine as he ran headlong, 
trying to find some sort of shelter. But let’s 
hope nothing like that will happen.” 

“I’ve put a cake of chocolate in my pocket, 
Elmer, in case we don’t get back to camp to-night, 
and feel hungry; you fellows had better do the 
same. Wonderful lot of nourishment in chocolate 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 139 

you know. Think I’ll get another, for Perk, when 
we find him.” 

“Now that’s a good idea,” agreed Elmer, “and 
I’ll see that Amos follows suit.” 

“You didn’t want him to stay alone here while 
we were gone, I noticed, Elmer. What was the 
big idea?” 

“In the first place, three might he better in 
scouring the woods than two. Then again I was 
afraid Amos would feel it terribly if left all 
alone in a storm, and as nervous as he is just now, 
worrying over his father. He was pleased when 
he heard me say all of us were to go.” 

“Of course, we ought to try to follow up 
Perk’s trail as long as it’s light enough, eh, 
Elmer?” 

“I expect to, and even afterwards by the help of 
our lantern, Wee Willie. If he’s kept turning to 
the left, as I suppose will be the case, and we con¬ 
tinued along due east, we’d soon he leaving him 
further and further away. As it is we can cover 
several miles before we’re forced to quit, and a 
burst of shouts might reach him.” 


CHAPTER. XV 


CAUGHT IN THE STORM 

So plain was the trail of the wanderer that they 
had no trouble in following it at quite a rapid 
pace. Indeed, Elmer calculated that they were 
proceeding even faster than Perk himself had 
gone along; for as a rule the stout chum was not 
prone to make speed except when circumstances 
demanded that he let himself out—in a baseball 
game; or it might be a sack race for a prize. 

More than once did Elmer mentally take him¬ 
self to task for not starting out much sooner. The 
afternoon was closing in, and it would not be a 
great while before night came on. Even another 
precious half hour of daylight might have proven 
of considerable value to them; but then Elmer 
knew it was useless now to indulge in vain regrets. 

By the time it began to get so dusky that even 
his keen eyes had difficulty in making out the 
trail, he decided it was necessary to make use of 
the lantern. 

They had come quite a distance, Wee Willie 
figuring it out as possibly a couple of miles, 
which must have been a conservative guess, Elmer 

140 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


141 


agreed. So lie struck a match, and presently when 
the trail was taken up again the lantern light 
allowed them to see Perk’s heavy tracks plainly. 

Already they had changed their course consid¬ 
erably. Perk aimed to avoid pushing through 
many of the thickets, and rough places he en¬ 
countered; which had a tendency to throw him 
now to the right, and again to the left, until 
naturally he became bewildered, and doubtless 
for the life of him could not decide in which 
quarter the cabin lay. 

From the indications Wee Willie judged that 
he had stopped to cast a stone into numerous 
thickets, in expectation of starting a partridge 
out, which he hoped would betray that queer trick 
the other boys had been speaking about. When 
after much wandering, and repeated failures to 
score, Perk finally made up his mind that it was 
time for him to turn his face toward camp, he 
must have been thoroughly disgusted to discover 
that he did not have the slightest idea as to 
whether the cabin lay on the right, the left, be¬ 
fore, or behind him; and that he was really and 
truly lost. 

But then that did not have any great terror for 
Perk. He had been lost so many times before 
that it was getting to be an old story. Doubtless 


142 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


he would keep on trying to “find himself” until he 
realized the hopelessness of it all, when he would 
philosophically sit down, to make a fire, and toast 
his shins, until such time as his mates came along 
with a rescue party; for he knew they could easily 
follow his tracks. 

Perk, however, did not take certain possibilities 
into consideration, if he figured it out that way, 
for one thing the coming of the storm. At no 
other time when he played the part of the “babes 
in the woods” had anything like that overtaken 
him; and if there was one particular type of 
Nature’s moods which Perk disliked most cor¬ 
dially it was a storm. 

The lightning always made him jump; the thun¬ 
der awed him; while the roar of a violent wind 
through the trees, sounding like a runaway rail¬ 
way train coming down the slope, made his flesh 
fairly creep. So that it can be seen an experience 
he would not soon forget faced the reckless woods 
wanderer on this occasion. 

They had not been moving again very long 
after the lantern was lighted when Wee Willie 
called their attention to the moaning of the wind 
through the tops of the tall trees. 

“That always means storm, according to my 
weather education,” he affirmed; “anyhow, I 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


143 


never yet knew it to fail. The clouds are working 
up all the time, too, boys. Guess we’ll be swim¬ 
ming before a great while. Worst of all is the 
fact that once the water comes down, good-by to 
our tracking, for even Perk’s heavy trail would 
soon be washed clean out. ’ ’ 

“And not a single little woods varmint have we 
run across,” suggested Elmer, who never failed 
to notice everything, “which shows that their in¬ 
stinct tells them there’s something afoot, and that 
they’d better hug their underground holes, or 
hollow trees, for shelter. ’ ’ 

“How weird that wind does sound through the 
treetops,” said Amos, shuddering as he spoke. 
“You could almost imagine it came from some 
unseen spirits, or that the trees were gossiping, 
just like a pack of old women over their teacups.” 

Wee Willie had not thought of that, because he 
was a practical sort of fellow; but then Amos hap¬ 
pened to be built along different lines, being given 
a lively imagination. 

“Here’s where Perk commenced to hurry 
some,” observed Elmer at that juncture. “He 
must have begun to realize he didn’t seem to be 
striking the river very fast, for he even ran a 
short distance, lumbering along like an ice-wagon, 
and falling more than a few times.” 


144 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“Huh! getting some anxious, I warrant you,” 
grunted Wee Willie. “Began to be afraid he’d 
miss his supper if he didn’t do better.” 

“Don’t say that,” urged Elmer, reprovingly; 
“I’d rather believe Perk was thinking of the 
worry he might cause the rest of his chums. ’ 9 

“Say,” snapped the other as quick as a flash, 
“forget what I said, please, fellows; it came from 
the lips, but not from the heart. I didn’t mean 
it, that’s right. Perk isn’t the chap to think of 
himself first; there never was a more loyal com¬ 
rade, or one who wanted more to be of service 
to his pals.” 

That was Wee Willie all over—too ready to say 
things of which he immediately repented, when he 
would strive to make amends. But Elmer liked 
him all the better on account of his quick temper, 
and habit of speaking without considering the re¬ 
sult; Wee Willie had his faults, but to Elmer’s 
mind he was an angel compared with some sly 
fellows who seemed to have a perpetual sneer in 
their tones, and a curl to their upper lips. 

“Wasn’t that distant thunder I heard then?” 
asked Amos. 

“Just what it was,” Elmer admitted; “so we 
didn’t hit far out of the way when we decided 
we were in for a storm.” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


145 


“But it’s a long way off yet,” urged the other. 

“That’s true, but when the wind starts to blow 
it doesn’t take long for a gale to strike home,” 
the boy with the lighted lantern reminded him. 

“About how long would you give us before it 
arrives?” continued Amos. 

“Anywhere from ten minutes to half an hour,” 
he was told. “Sometimes they take a notion to 
swing around, and attack from a new quarter; 
which holds things up more or less. ’ ’ 

“Huh! you never can tell what a crazy old 
storm will do,” grunted Wee Willie. “I’ve had 
’em die down on me, but just when I was taking 
a good breath, slam bang! and the game was on 
again, the second edition being a heap worse 
than the original dose. It pays to keep right on 
the job when there’s a twister working your patch 
of the woods.” 

“It pays to keep on the alert, no matter where 
you are. “Preparedness has won many a battle 
on the field, in business, and with private 
affairs. The fellow who is ready has three chances 
to one for the shiftless chap caught off his guard.” 

It was not long before the distant boom of the 
thunder grew perceptibly louder, proving that the 
storm was advancing their way, and could not be 
much longer delayed in transit. 


146 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“We might holler a few times,” suggested Wee 
Willie, “and if by great good luck Perk is close 
enough to hear us, so much the better.’ 9 

“Go to it, then,” advised Elmer, knowing Wee 
Willie had a voice that would be apt to carry 
much further than his own, or that of Amos. 

Without waiting for a second invitation the 
elongated chum threw back his head and sent 
forth one of his shrillest yells. 

“Perk! oh! Perk! Hey! there!” he bawled. 

“Perk! hey there!” came a startling mocking 
answer that caused Wee Willie to jump, and stare 
hard at Elmer. 

“W-why, did y-you hear that?” he gasped. 

“Only an echo,” the other told him. “It re¬ 
peated your words after you. As a rule it re¬ 
quires some sort of elevation to create an echo; 
but they’ve been known to spring right up from 
what looked like level ground. A lot depends on 
the condition of the atmosphere. I’ve known of a 
mighty fine echo that would send back a double 
line at you like fun, and yet it came out of a 
marsh. I admit echoes have always been some¬ 
thing of a puzzle to me; but that was one just now, 
all right. ’ ’ 

“A queer thing,” Amos hurried to say, “and 
at first I really thought it was Perk hiding close 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 147 

by, and mocking Wee Willie here. Can yon still 
follow his tracks, Elmer ?” 

“It’s as easy as falling off a log,” replied the 
one addressed, “but for a fact I’m more than sur¬ 
prised at Perk keeping it up so long. He must 
have been provoked with himself over getting 
lost, and determined to make the punishment 
fit the crime. Why, we’ve come more than three 
miles, up to now.” 

“If we’re going to find him before that storm 
breaks, it’s got to be done fast now,” Wee Willie 
told them, when a still more resonant grumble 
followed what was plainly a distant flash of light¬ 
ning. 

“All we can do,” advised the guide with the 
lighted lantern, “is to keep moving until we’re up 
against it, when of course we’ll have to try to 
find some shelter ourselves.” 

Wee Willie continued to let out a whoop from 
time to time. It amused him, at least, and could 
do no harm, while there was always a slender 
chance that Perk might hear and reply. 

“Wow! things are getting pretty warm!” he 
announced shortly afterwards, when a really deaf¬ 
ening crash followed quickly on the heels of a 
blinding electric display. 

“I felt the first drop of rain on my face when 


148 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


I looked up at that flash,’’ said Amos, trying to 
show the utmost coolness.' 

“Yes, it’s going to break right away,” said 
Elmer. 

“Perk, I wonder where you are!” Wee Willie 
remarked on a hazard, remembering what a dis¬ 
like the lost chum invariably displayed toward all 
kinds of strife among the elements. 

i 1 Listen! what’s that t ’’ asked Amos. ‘‘ Sounds 
for all the world like a regular young Niagara 
going over the falls.” 

“It means the rain is rushing down on us, and 
that we ’re going to be soaked through and through 
in a jiffy, ’ ’ Elmer told him. 

Five minutes afterwards and they found them¬ 
selves in the midst of as lively a summer gale as 
any of them had ever known, with the artillery 
in the heavens keeping up an almost constant 
booming, occupied by dazzling flashes of light¬ 
ning ; while to the right and to the left they could 
hear terrific crashing sounds as trees were laid 
prostrate before the fury of the hurricane wind! 


CHAPTER XVI 


WHERE WOODCRAFT PAYS 

Progress of course was utterly out of the ques¬ 
tion while all this racket continued. Indeed, even 
with the aid of the lantern, and the almost in¬ 
cessant flashing of the lightning, they could never 
have found the marks left by Perk in his erratic 
wanderings; for already had the downpour of 
rain washed them completely out of existence as 
though the trail had never been. 

1 ‘ No telling how long this is going to last, of 
course?” called out Amos, and his voice quiv¬ 
ered more or less, despite his brave efforts to 
appear quite unconcerned, as a veteran of camp 
and trail should. 

“It may soon be over,” replied Elmer, “and 
again there’s always a chance of such a storm 
holding out all night.” 

“Wonder if we couldn’t find some sort of 
shelter?” ventured Wee Willie, doubtless voicing 
the thought that was in each of his companions’ 
minds. 

“Let’s bear off in this direction,” suggested 
Elmer, turning toward the right, and as he carried 

149 


150 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

the lantern the others were compelled to follow 
him. 

“But the trees seem to be getting smaller over 
here, Elmer,” protested the tall chum. 

“Sure thing, I know that,” called the guide 
over his shoulder, “but we’re not looking for any 
big hollow oak, with all this lightning around, you 
know. Notice that the ground’s getting rocky, 
and that it begins to lie in queer ledges? I’ve 
seen just such places before, and I’m hoping we’ll 
run across a ledge that’ll hang out far enough to 
let us crawl underneath.” 

“Wow! that’s the stuff!” admitted Wee Willie, 
apparently giving in to the judgment of his 
leader without any dispute. 

“Something up ahead there that looks like it 
might pan out,” called Amos just then; though 
he could not feel sure he saw correctly, because of 
the water that ran down his face, and seemed at 
times to act as a sort of curtain hiding out the 
wretched picture. 

“We’re in great luck!” cried Elmer, ten sec¬ 
onds later, “for here’s just the sort of ledge I 
had in mind, with plenty of room for all of us to 
creep under the outcropping shelf of rock.” 

Down on hands and knees they went. This was 
no time for being particular, when the situation 


151 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

was so desperate; a little dirt did not matter, for 
who does not know how the average boy manages 
to keep on good terms with grime, without letting 
its presence interfere at all with his appetite, or 
enjoyment. 

‘ ‘Whirr! whirr!” 

“Hey! what’s all this?” bellowed Wee Willie, 
already screwed up in a knot, as he doubled his 
long legs in the endeavor to push further under 
the friendly shelf of rock, one of Nature’s freaks 
in that neck of the tall timber, but wonderfully 
acceptable to those caught in the wild storm. 

“Only a covey of partridges we’ve scared out 
of their hiding-place,” Elmer instantly called 
back. “They thought they owned it, but we’ve 
put in a quit claim. All under, boys?” k 

“Say, this isn’t half so bad!” Amos exclaimed. 

“It’s all right,” ventured Wee Willie, “if only 
we don’t get drowned in the water that’s going to 
ooze from our clothes. I reckon I weigh close 
on a ton right now; why, I could hardly lift my 
leg toward the last, I carried such a cargo of 
soaked stuff with me.” 

They lay there panting for a while, “resting 
up,” as a boy would put it. 

“Any port in a storm, the sailor says,” Elmer 
presently sang out, “and this time we can un- 


152 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


derstand what that homely old phrase means.’’ 

“Getting some chilly though, don’t you think?” 
said Amos, his teeth chattering as he spoke. 

“Oh! that’s because we’re wet to the bone,” 
the tall chum asserted. “Since we can’t help 
ourselves we’ve just got to grin and bear it. Lots 
of fellows may be a heap worse off than we are 
right now.” 

He was thinking of Perk, of course; but Amos 
had another person in mind when, during a brief 
lull in the roaring of the storm he was heard to 
groan, and say half to himself: 

“I wonder where he can be; and if he’s out in 
all this terrible storm, poor old dad! ’ ’ 

Wee Willie might have reassured him had he 
chosen. He could have told Amos that those 
who have descended to the low level of becoming 
plain ordinary hoboes, tramping the highways, 
and counting the railroad ties in their peregrina¬ 
tions to and fro over the country, are as a rule, 
able to foresee the coming of bad weather, and 
generally manage to find some shelter in advance. 

However, he did not say this, because to do so 
would hurt the feelings of Amos; who seemed 
still to have considerable love for the father he 
had not seen nor heard from for several long 
years. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


153 


How the minutes dragged! 

Wee Willie, too, had now begun to shiver, 
though he would not have admitted that he was 
cold had he been accused of such a thing. While 
the rain did not gain admittance to the space un¬ 
der the overlapping ledge of rock, the wind could 
not be kept entirely out; and owing to their being 
so wet this caused them much inconvenience, to 
say the least. 

‘ 4 Don’t you believe it’s letting up some, 
Elmer ?” pleaded Amos, after a bit. 

“I was just thinking so myself when you 
spoke/’ came the reply. “Yes, the rain, you see, 
has almost stopped, though the wind keeps up a 
great roaring in the tree-tops. But it’s lost some 
of its fury to boot; I haven’t heard a tree crash 
down for some time.” 

“Huh! guess all the weak brothers have been 
knocked silly by now!” grunted Wee Willie, using 
this method of speaking because he could disguise 
the fact that his teeth were rattling like the 
castanets he had once seen a Spanish dancer use 
at a concert. 

“Make up your mind, the performance is over 
for to-night,” Elmer thrilled them by declaring 
five minutes afterwards. 

“Well, for goodness’ sake, don’t let’s do any- 


154 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


thing to coax an encore / 1 begged Amos. “But 
I can hear the rain coming down still, Elmer.’ 9 

“I reckon now that’s just the water dripping 
from the trees you hear,” he was assured, which 
turned out to be the case. 

They hugged their confined quarters for a short 
time longer ; then Elmer made a move as though 
meaning to crawl out. 

“Come along, boys!” he called; “well feel a 
heap better to get on our feet, and start the blood 
to circulating again.” 

“You said it, Elmer,” honestly confessed 
Amos; “why, Pm shaking like I had the ague 
right now. And Pm not sure but that Wee 
Willie’s going to fall to pieces soon if he keeps 
on the way he does, he’s so loosely made up, you 
know . 9 ’ 

“Oh! I guess not yet awhile,” snapped the one 
referred to, who however lost no time in creeping 
out from under the ledge where the wise par¬ 
tridges had taken up their quarters for the night, 
anticipating a wet time. 

No sooner was Elmer on his feet than laying 
the lantern aside he commenced slapping both 
arms violently about him, at the same time jump¬ 
ing up and down after the manner of a savage 
indulging in a dance. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


155 


“The only way to get your blood to circulat¬ 
ing !” Wee Willie admitted, as he hastened to 
imitate the others example; and presently there 
were three dancers hopping about, and making 
wild gesticulations with their waving arms. 

All of them began to feel considerably better, 
though their breath was soon coming in short 
pants. 

“This is an improvement,’ ’ Elmer called out, 
“but we ought to have a fire!” 

“Fire!” 

That word always appealed to Wee Willie, 
even as a red rag does to an aggressive bull; he 
never needed more than half a hint to find an 
excuse for building one. 

“Whoop! watch my smoke, fellows!” he cried, 
delightedly. “Pm some boy when you need a 
blaze. Don’t either of you dare to offer to help; 
because I’m the fire-maker of this circus!” 

One thing that the tall chum always insisted on 
when in the woods was to carry his pet camp 
hatchet along with him wherever he went. Many 
times it was likely to prove a grievous burden, but 
should the occasion arise when its value could be 
fully appreciated, like the present, Wee Willie 
felt amply rewarded for his forethought. 

He had it loose and ready before Amos could 


156 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


have said “Jack Robinson,” and picking out an 
old stump near by attacked it with great vigor, 
Elmer holding his lantern so that the chopper 
could see what he was doing. 

Of course the fire-maker was after the dry 
heart of the stump, which could not have been 
soaked by the recent downpour. Soon he was 
collecting small splinters of this inflammable 
wood, until he had quite a decent pile laid by. At 
the base he inserted the finest and most tempting 
of fibers, to which he meant to apply a match 
presently; since this was certainly no time for 
him to show off his knowledge of wonderful 
though tedious ways for making a fire without 
the aid of common, every-day matches. 

It matters little to one who had made a hobby 
of the subject, that everything around may be 
reeking with water; because he knows a variety of 
ways for producing the desired result. Many 
fellows less wise would have tried in vain, and 
used up their whole stock of matches in endeavor¬ 
ing to coax wet tinder to burn. 

Amos gave an exclamation indicative of solid 
satisfaction when in response to the click of the 
match, carefully protected by Wee Willie’s hat, 
a tiny blaze sprang up that rapidly increased in 
volume. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


157 

“Hurrah for you, Wee Willie! You're surely 
the champion fire-builder of the universe. You'll 
set the world on fire some of these days, if they 
don’t watch you pretty close. My but that feels 
fine already!" 

“Oh! but I’ve got to have heavier stuff to put 
on top, or it '11 peter out on us," objected the other, 
bustling about. 

He must have figured on just where he could 
lay hold of the necessary supplies, for almost in a 
jiffy he started piling dead branches over the 
leaping blaze, which, rapidly drying out began 
in turn to take fire, until there was k delightful 
roaring pyramid of flames leaping cheerily up¬ 
ward, and sending out such glorious heat that the 
boys had to move back a foot at a time. 

Their clothes also began to send out clouds of 
steam as the genial warmth commenced the drying 
process. Everybody showed signs of feeling a 
thousand per cent more comfortable; and there 
was no longer any necessity for their performing 
those wild antics, like warriors before the hunt or 
battle. 


CHAPTER XVII 


A GUEST AT THE CAMPFIRE 

“Why, I guess Pm all dry again,” Amos later 
on remarked with a degree of satisfaction in his 
words. “That heat certainly works fine. After 
all, it wasn’t such a terribly hard experience. ’ ’ 

Amos was like most other people who are prone 
to forget how they have suffered, once the sun of 
prosperity shines again; but then it is fortunate 
boys are so constituted that they can “put their 
troubles in their old kit-bag/’ and be me/ry once 
more. 

“Of course,” observed Wee Willie, “we can’t 
do a thing now till morning; even then our only 
job will be to keep on the move, and letting out 
an occasional whoop in hopes of reaching Perk. 
I’d sure give something to know what that same 
Perk is doing right now.” 

4 4 Elmer, what’s that moving out there ? ’ ’ gasped 
Amos, as though something suddenly ice-cold 
gripped his heart. 

“Why, it seems to be a man, and he’s heading 
this way, too!” exclaimed the tall chum. “Say, 

158 


159 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

wouldn’t it be a queer stunt now if this happened 
to be our—well, the party we scared out of the 
cabin at the Bend?” 

Amos uttered a plaintive little cry, but hastily 
followed it by saying: 

“No, it can’t be, because you see he doesn’t 
limp at all!” 

The man continued to come straight toward 
them, though Elmer rather suspected that he was 
eyeing them closely as he advanced, possibly won¬ 
dering who and what they were. At least he was 
no tramp, his appearance indicating more or less 
refinement; though to be sure he was fairly drip¬ 
ping just then, as though he had borne the full 
force of the downpour. 

“Good evening, boys!” he called out as he drew 
near. ‘ ‘ That fire certainly looks tempting; and if 
you’ve no objections I’d like to warm up a bit. 
Beastly storm, wasn’t it? I seem to be pretty 
damp; but it doesn’t matter; nothing really does 
when you make your mind up not to worry.” 

He held his hands out to the blaze as he finished. 
Elmer stared at him in a puzzled way. To meet 
such a light-hearted man after the passage of so 
dreadful a storm, and away up there in the woods, 
too, was rather bewildering. 


160 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“I suppose you’re all wondering who your un¬ 
expected guest will turn out to be, boys,” sud¬ 
denly said the man, turning and surveying them 
keenly. “ Allow me to introduce myself then as 
Doctor Frank Hitchens, connected with the State 
Institute for the Insane. I lost my connection 
with a party out searching this region for a clever 
inmate who managed to break away recently. At 
first I imagined you were my companions in the 
hunt; but as I drew closer I realized my mistake. ’’ 

“Oh! is that so, sir?” exclaimed Wee Willie, 
impulsively. “Why, we happened to meet your 
two friends recently. They came knocking at 
the door of our cabin, and at first thought they’d 
cornered their man. When they found we were 
only a party of boys from Chester, camping out, 
they asked a lot of questions; but we couldn’t 
give them any clue, of course. So you’re the 
doctor from the Asylum, are you, sir? If you 
come over on this side of the fire you can dry off 
without so much of the smoke striking you.” 

“Thank you, son, I’ll do so,” the newcomer 
replied, suiting action to word. 

He seemed to like to talk, as though the sound 
of his voice might be pleasant to his own ears. 
Elmer held back and listened, hoping to grasp 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


161 


the situation better by observing the expressions 
that flitted in succession across the face of Dr. 
Hitchens. 

In the first place, he concluded that the other 
must be unusually smart, for he seemed to be well 
posted on every kind of subject. As he spoke, 
Elmer saw frowns, and then shrewd looks flit 
across his face; from which he also concluded 
that the medical man must be the possessor of 
something of a temper; he really looked like one 
whom it would be unwise to irritate. 

Wee Willie apparently was quite taken with the 
doctor. He asked various questions, and supplied 
all the information he had at his command, when 
the other wished to know this or that. 

‘‘Didn’t Collins or Andrews chance to mention 
my name to you, when they made their call last 
night; or happen to say they had missed connec¬ 
tions with Dr. Frank Hitchens f” he finally in¬ 
quired, cunningly, Elmer thought. 

Wee Willie shook his head in the negative. 

“Why, no, sir, not a word did those guards say 
about having any one else along,” he hastened to 
explain. “They had a dog with them, a sort of 
hound, I reckon, because he had long ears, and 
bayed like one; but somehow they didn’t seem to 


162 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


get a whiff of the scent of the escaped lunatic.” 

Wee Willie was wise enough not to say anything 
concerning the fact that they had frightened some 
one away from the cabin on first arriving. Since 
they were now of the opinion that party had been 
Mr. Codling, Amos’s long-missing parent, it was 
only fair to that comrade nothing be said about 
his presence near by. 

“By the way,” continued the doctor, with glit¬ 
tering eyes, “did the guards happen to mention 
the name of the—er, runaway?” and Elmer 
thought he caught a slight chuckle when that last 
word was forcibly pronounced. 

“Why, yes, they told us his name was, let me 
see, Felix Something or other—oh! yes, Felix 
Gould; and that he was a mighty clever chap— 
used to be an actor in his palmy days, too, and 
just wonderfully smart.” 

“He is all of that,” commented the other, with 
a faint smile on his face. “In fact, I don’t be¬ 
lieve I ever ran across a more engaging chap in 
all my wide experience than this same Felix 
Gould. The world had not treated his genius 
right, which was the main cause for all his mental 
troubles. But then they say everything comes to 
him who waits; and there are times when even 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 163 

walls do not a prison make. Life still has com¬ 
pensations for all the ills flesh is heir to.” 

His manner was really quite dramatic when 
saying this, Elmer noticed. As for Wee Willie, 
somehow he seemed to have fallen under the spell 
of the other’s masterful manner, for he sat there, 
and listened as though entranced, hardly able to 
take his eyes off the doctor’s mobile face. 

And then with the abruptness shown by a bolt 
of lightning coming from what had been consid¬ 
ered a clear sky, a thought suddenly sped through 
Elmer’s brain. It dazzled him, too, at first by its 
brilliance, yes, and thrilled him at the same time 
on account of the element of danger that accom¬ 
panied the revelation. 

Once this idea seized hold of him, Elmer watched 
the face of Dr. Hitchens more closely than ever. 
He was trying to read the secret of those rapidly 
working features, those glittering eyes, and the 
strange smile that every now and then crept into 
view, as though the physician might be taking infi¬ 
nite satisfaction in having found such a ready con¬ 
vert to his views in Wee Willie, whom he had 
apparently well-nigh hypnotized. 

Amos chancing to turn his gaze toward Elmer 
saw the other make a quick little movement with 


164 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


his head. It said “come here” as plainly as 
words could have done, an invitation Amos has¬ 
tened to accept. 

At the same time somehow or other he dis¬ 
played considerable caution concerning his move¬ 
ments, though unaware just why he should do so. 
A minute afterwards and he dropped down along¬ 
side the other chum, who was so far as appear¬ 
ances went only interested in brushing off the 
lower extremities of his wrinkled trousers. 

“What do you think of him, Elmer; a queer 
sort of a chap, that doctor is, it strikes me?” re¬ 
marked Amos, in what he meant to be a low voice. 

“Be careful how you speak, Amos,” came in 
guarded tones. “Fve been sizing him up and I 
don’t like his looks. In fact, I think he is no 
other than Felix Gould himself!” 

“Oh! my stars! the escaped actor lunatic!” 
whispered Amos, plainly aghast at hearing this 
startling announcement. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


ELMER HAS A PLAN 

Fob a full minute nothing further passed be¬ 
tween the two chums. Amos was slyly observing 
the newcomer, who continued to talk most elo¬ 
quently, rattling along on some subject or other, 
and holding Wee Willie spellbound. 

*‘ Elmer!’ 9 finally whispered Amos. 

“ Yes,” came from the other, though Elmer did 
not desist from his occupation of making his 
trousers legs look more presentable, just as if it 
mattered in the slightest degree how creased or 
muddy they might be, off in the woods as they 
were, where no critical eye could ever detect the 
faults. 

“I—guess—you’re right about that!” wheezed 
Amos. 

“I’m getting more and more certain with every 
minute,” asserted the other. “I can see it in his 
shifty eyes, and his every action. Why, he’s as 
mad as anything, and has been playing a clever 
little trick on us. You must know these people 
who are out of their senses just love to imitate 
165 


166 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


other folks, and make believe they’re Napoleon 
Bonaparte, General Grant, or some noted char¬ 
acter in history. He chances to have a fancy for 
being the doctor at the asylum; perhaps he’s 
studied his ways, and can take the other off to 
the life. But we’re stacked up against a bunch 
of trouble, believe me, with lnim in camp. ’ ’ 

“He’d be a dangerous man to tackle, I expect?” 
ventured Amos, dubiously. 

“They always are hard to handle, I’ve heard,” 
Elmer told him. “Why, even a weak looking 
woman, if out of her mind, and violent, will be all 
four men can manage; and at that she’ll claw their 
faces something dreadful.” 

“Whew! but we ought to get rid of him, some 
way or other,” continued Amos. “I wish I knew 
of a scheme to start: Elmer, how about you?” 

Elmer did not reply immediately. He hap¬ 
pened to notice that the furtive eyes of the man 
under suspicion chanced to be resting on them 
just then; and it was far from his wish to cause 
the other to suspect they knew his real identity. 

Possibly Wee Willie asked some question just 
naturally, as he was deeply engrossed in certain 
things the “doctor” had been telling him; at any 
rate those searching eyes were again removed 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 167 

from the vicinity of the spot where Elmer and 
Amos sat close together. 

“As force is out of the question,” said Elmer, 
softly, “why the only thing left is strategy.” 

“Yes—go on, please, for I just hnow you’ve 
got a scheme made up,” breathed Amos. 

“Don’t look so hungrily at me while I’m talk¬ 
ing, Amos,” he was told. “Try and grin, as if 
what I say might be funny. That man’s eyes are 
like those of a rat or a ferret, and can look right 
through you. ’ ’ 

It may have been but a wretched excuse for a 
laugh that Amos managed to emit; but at any rate 
such a sound would make it appear as though he 
were listening to some humorous observation on 
the part of his mate. Elmer, appeased by this, 
continued to “lift the lid,” as Wee Willie would 
term it, and explain what he had in mind. 

“We’ll manage to break into the talk after a 
bit, understand, Amos,” he was now saying, “and 
don’t be surprised when I make a statement that 
isn’t exactly true. But those two guards did say 
they hoped to run across us again while up here 
in this neck of the woods; you heard them, 
Amos?” 

“I certainly did,” came the quick reply. 


168 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“All right then, a fellow is allowed to stretch 
things just a little when the circumstances are as 
desperate as they seem to be with us right now. 
Well, I’m meaning to remark incidentally that 
we kind of expect them to drop in on us before 
morning; in fact, that they may see the light of 
our campfire any old time, and show up. Get 
that, Amos?” 

The other actually chuckled, this time without 
much of an effort. 

“I’m on to your game, Elmer,” he announced, 
eagerly. 

“Do you think it’s a good one?” demanded the 
originator of the scheme. 

“Simply great, and that’s a fact. Of course, 
if he was the genuine article he’d act as if de¬ 
lighted to know there was a chance for him to 
meet up with the balance of the search posse 
again.” 

“Oh! don’t fool yourself about that, Amos; 
he’s too smart not to act as if tickled half to 
death at the prospect,” resumed Elmer. “I ex¬ 
pect all that to happen. ’ ’ 

“Then how are we going to know whether he’s 
the real, or counterfeit article, Elmer?” 

“They say the proof of the pudding is in the 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


169 


eating of it, Amos. Lots of tilings in this world 
are different from what they seem to be on their 
face. No matter what his make-believe is, we’ll 
know the truth by his actions, when he thinks no 
one is looking.” 

“You mean he’s likely to skip out before morn¬ 
ing, eh, Elmer?” 

“There’s a big chance that way, I reckon.” 

“Oh! I hope so, I certainly do,” said Amos. 
“I never did like to run across any one who was 
out of his mind; they always made me feel queer. 
But I’ve just thought of something, Elmer, that 
might queer your fine game.” 

“Is it—-Wee Willie?” asked the other, quickly. 

“How on earth did you guess so easily, I’d like 
to know?” gasped Amos, quite taken aback for the 
moment. 

“Just because I had thought about him my¬ 
self,” came the answer. “He’s sitting there, and 
drinking in everything that chap tells him as if 
he might be in a daze. Yes, I wondered how he 
would take it when he heard me say I expected 
those two guards to join us any old time now.” 

“Gee! Wee Willie might blurt out something 
that would make him suspect you only said that 
so as to alarm him! ’ ’ 


170 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“There’s only one way to prevent that,” his 
comrade told him. “I’ll be sure to catch his eye 
just before I say anything, and give him the high 
sign. Wee Willie knows what that’ll mean; he’ll 
understand that he’s got to keep his lips tightly 
buttoned up,—just sit there and listen. You’ll 
see how lucky it is we had all those signals ar¬ 
ranged long ago. ’ ’ 

“That was your doing, Elmer; why, if you’d 
looked ahead, and seen just such an occasion as 
this, you couldn’t have fixed things better. But 
won’t Wee Willie be eating himself up with curi¬ 
osity, though ? He ’ll wonder what under the sun 
it all means. ’ ’ 

“I expect to find a chance to tell him what’s in 
the wind, Amos; in fact it’s more than likely he ’ll 
make such an opening himself, so as to be in the 
swim with us.” 

* ‘ There, he’s watching us again, Elmer; just as 
if he suspected we might be talking about him by 
ourselves off here.” 

Elmer laughed, and went on to act as if de¬ 
tailing some choice bit of gossip concerning one 
of their home pals in Chester. Amos, stirred to 
action by the necessities of the case, also managed 
to look as if tickled over something, although 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


171 


merriment came hard with a fellow who for years 
now had been carrying such a load of anxiety and 
boyish sorrow on his shoulders, all connected with 
the episode of his father’s vanishing, and the con¬ 
stant sad face of his mother. 

Elmer did not believe in hurrying things. He 
knew that many a promising plan of campaign 
has been ruined simply through an application of 
too much haste. The night was long; indeed, it 
would likely seem interminable to the three lads 
who found themselves face to face with such an 
unpleasant experience. So he would wait pa¬ 
tiently; possibly luck might favor them, and the 
unwelcome visitor announce his intention of leav- 
in, a happening that would make the carrying out 
of his cleverly arranged plan unnecessary. 

The minutes dragged past. 

“I saw him yawn right then, Elmer; he’s get¬ 
ting sleepy, I should say; which looks like he 
meant to stick by us to-night,” Amos whispered, 
after another quarter of an hour had crept by. 

The talkative “doctor” must have tired him¬ 
self out, or else his mood changed, for he had 
about quit speaking to Wee Willie. In fact, the 
latter was also beginning to display unmistakable 
signs of being ready to turn in, the heat of the 


172 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

crackling fire doubtless causing his eyes to grow 
heavy. 

Elmer decided that the time was at hand for 
him to do something. Once their unwelcome guest 
lay down and went to sleep it would be too late. 

First of all, he was watching to get the eye of 
the tall chum. Wee Willie on his part was sud¬ 
denly surprised, and electrified as well, to see 
Elmer make a little movement with his hand 
which he easily understood to mean: 4 ‘Don’t 
open your mouth to say a thing when you hear me 
make a statement; you’ll know all about it later 
on!” 

Elmer repeated it so as to make sure the other 
understood, and when he saw Wee Willie make 
a similar movement he felt that matters were 
settled. 

With that Elmer called out to the visitor: 

“Of course you mean to bunk with us to-night, 
Doctor? Sorry we haven’t anything to offer you 
in the way of food, but we came away from our 
camp in a big hurry, anxious about our missing 
chum, and failed to fetch grub along. But after 
the storm, with the woods all soaked with water, 
I guess a fire feels too good to leave; how about 
that, Doctor?” 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


173 


Elmer wisely made out to use that designation 
whenever possible; he fancied it might please the 
other, and allay any suspicion he might have been 
entertaining toward the speaker. Those wonder¬ 
fully keen eyes seemed almost to pierce Elmer, as 
the other surveyed him closely. 

‘ 4 Thank you, that’s very kind,” he remarked, 
smoothly; “and I think I shall accept the invita¬ 
tion in the same spirit it is given. Yes, this fire 
does warm one up, after such a soaking; and it 
would be foolish for me to leave such good com¬ 
pany.” 

‘ ‘ There’s another reason why you ought to stay 
with us, Doctor,” continued Elmer, looking so 
innocent that Amos made up his mind the other 
was built for a clever actor. 

“Indeed, what might that be, Pd like to know?” 
said the other, with a vein of sudden alarm in his 
voice. 

“Why, the chances are we’ll be joined by two 
good friends of yours between now and sunrise,” 
continued the boy. “I mean Collins and Andrews, 
those fine fellows you brought with you from the 
asylum, when you came in search of that cunning 
Felix Gould!” 

The man was silent for a full minute. He 


174 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


seemed to be pondering over something, for he 
frowned, and then forced himself to look pleasant. 

‘ 1 That is rare good news you are giving me, my 
young friend!” he burst out, though had he 
chanced just then to have turned his head and 
looked at Wee Willie, to note the expression of 
blank bewilderment to be seen on his freckled 
face, he might have felt less confidence. “What 
makes you think there will be a reunion of forces 
to-night? Collins and Andrews are great cronies 
of mine, whom I shall, of course, be delighted to 
meet again.’’ 

“Why, they said they meant to put in the day 
searching the woods up here; and something 
seems to tell me they ’ll surely drop in. ’ ’ 

“It is very kind of you to tell me such delight¬ 
ful news,” the other replied. “Yes, I’ll cuddle 
down here by your fire, and snatch a little sleep, 
of which I am in great need; though food is some¬ 
thing I’d like to see before me as well.” 

They all lay down as if to sleep, but it was a 
very alert group indeed, stretched out there, in¬ 
cluding the “doctor.” 


CHAPTER XIX 


THE LONG, LONG NIGHT 

“What does it all mean, El m er?” 

Wee Willie whispered this as he managed to 
roll over close to the other. It had been just what 
Elmer was counting on, ever since the tall chum 
threw himself down as if carelessly; but never¬ 
theless picking out a spot where he could manage 
to get in contact with his leader. 

“ Sh! keep your voice down lower still; he must 
have the ears of a rabbit—all these crazy people 
have! ’ ’ Elmer told him, cautiously. 

“Wow! do you mean that?” gasped the other, 
plainly staggered by what he had just heard. 

“Listen, and I’ll tell you about it.” 

It took Elmer only a brief time to do this, for 
he chose his words, and made sure not to add 
unnecessai jy details, leaving something to the 
lively imagination of the other. 

So Wee Willie had the scales removed from his 
eyes. He understood now how the glib tongue of 
the cunning escaped lunatic had somehow dulled 
his wits, and lulled his suspicions to sleep. 

“Gee! so he’s that dangerous Gould chap, is 
he ? ” he murmured, as though it might be difficult 

175 


176 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


for him to grasp this amazing truth. “He sure 
had me all hailed up by his talk. My cousin out 
west’d say I’d been locoed, and I reckon it looks 
that way. But ought we go to sleep like innocent 
babes in the woods, with such a live wire in camp, 
and he a luny ? ’ ’ 

‘ 1 1 don’t mean to, ’ ’ Elmer assured him. ‘ 1 Some 
one ought to keep awake so as to watch him, and 
I guess I’m IT in this case. Already Amos is 
drowsy, even if he does know about the danger 
hanging over our heads; and I’ve an idea you’d 
let yourself doze if put on guard. ’ ’ 

“Huh! try me, that’s all, Elmer,” whispered 
the other, a bit indignantly. 

“You can do as you feel like,” he was told; 
“but as for me I expect to stay awake. And if 
he’s watching us right now perhaps we’d better 
break away, or he ’ll be thinking there’s something 
up.” 

Amos tried very hard to keep his heavy eyes 
from closing. Time and again he would nod and 
nod, and then with a start rub his knuckles into 
his eyes; but presently the whole performance 
was renewed, until finally he simply slipped over, 
and remained motionless on the ground. 

Elmer looked at him with considerable com¬ 


passion. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


177 


“Poor chap,” he was saying, under his breath, 
“he’s had little sleep since we got np here, what 
with worrying about that wandering dad of his! ’ ’ 

The camp was very quiet, save for now and then 
the snapping of the flames as they ate their way 
into the log Elmer had piled on the fire. Wee 
Willie had also tried to keep awake, and for a 
time seemed to be successful; but in the end Elmer 
had reason to believe that he, too, was fast suc¬ 
cumbing to the sway of the slumber king, for he 
nodded violently, and could hardly keep his head 
off his chest. 

It must have been well on to midnight when 
Elmer noticed the first move on the part of the 
“doctor.” The man was sitting up and observ¬ 
ing them with a steady gaze. Undoubtedly he was 
trying to discover whether any one of his com¬ 
panions could be awake and in a position to notice 
what he did. 

Elmer held his breath, but did not move. He 
had so fixed matters that he could see all that went 
on, though a crooked elbow shielded his face from 
the betraying firelight. 

Wee Willie breathed hard. He was fast asleep 
at last, despite his positive assertion that nothing 
could tempt him to lose himself. 

Now the man had started to get to his hands 


178 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

and knees. Elmer wondered what he meant to 
do, and the possibility of rank treachery, such as 
crazy persons are likely to display on the least 
occasion, filled him with dismay. He felt a queer 
thrill pass through his frame as the man arose 
stealthily. 

Another minute would tell the tale, Elmer real¬ 
ized. Should the insane man start to approach 
their side of the now half-dying fire it was his 
intention to arouse his two companions with a 
shout, and spring to his own feet. 

Earlier in the evening Elmer, looking ahead to 
possibilities, had managed to drop several billets 
of wood close to the spot where he and his mates 
expected to lie. These would come in handy as 
clubs in case there were actual hostilities, which 
he fervently hoped might not prove to be the 
case. 

He afterwards declared that it seemed to him 
his heart jumped up in his throat when he saw 
the man actually take one step toward them. For¬ 
tunately Elmer controlled his feelings, and made 
no move to betray the fact that he was awake. 

Relief swept over him upon discovering that 
the other had changed his mind, if he really in¬ 
tended doing anything serious; for once more 
he turned and crept away. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


179 


Elmer watched his receding figure as long as he 
could make it out. Then it became merged in the 
dim moonlight, and their unwelcome guest had 
gone! 

"YVee Willie, sound asleep, felt something grip 
him. He instantly started to sit up, though only 
half awake as yet. 

“W-what’s doing ?” he muttered, unable to 
grasp the situation. 

i 1 1 only thought you’d like to know he ’s gone, ’’ 
said Elmer, quietly. 

The other was by now fully aroused and seemed 
to understand what was meant. 

“You mean Fe—er, the Doctor, do you, 
Elmer?” he demanded. 

“No other,” he was told. 

Wee Willie stared across to where he had last 
seen the recumbent figure of their unwelcome 
guest. 

“Glad to hear the news, that’s right; when did 
he slip away?” he asked. 

“ Oh! about ten minutes or so back, ’’ he was in¬ 
formed. “I waited to make sure of it before I 
waked you. 9 ’ 

Amos sat up just then. 

“What’s this I heard you say, Elmer; that he’d 
quit us?” he demanded eagerly. 


180 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


So Elmer had to tell the story of his seeing the 
insane man get to his feet, and how at one time 
he even feared the other meant to creep toward 
them, which would have surely spelled trouble for 
everybody. 

“But Pm glad to say he changed his mind,” he 
concluded, “and went away peacefully; so I reck-^ 
on there ’ll he no need of these bully clubs I man^ 
aged to get together for use in case of a racket.’’ 

“Gee! what a high old time we’d have had, if 
the fight came off, ’ ’ speculated the lanky one, with 
half a chuckle. ‘ 4 Some of us might have had welts 
all over our bodies that’d spoil our whole outing. 
Yes, I’m glad myself it didn’t happen that way. 
I don’t mind a class rush, or a football tackle, but 
excuse me from battling with a crazy man. ’ ’ 

“Well, I’m shaking hands with myself over the 
narrow escape,” Amos observed, “and Elmer, I 
want to say right now that dodge of yours worked 
like magic. He concluded he didn’t care much to 
stay over, and meet up with his warm friends 
Collins and Andrews from the State Asylum; in 
which I should say he showed a whole lot of 
wisdom; for they’d have simply declined to let 
him wander off again.” 

“But say, I’m a whole lot sorry about one 
thing,” remarked Wee Willie. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


181 


* 4 Tell us about it then, ’ ’ urged Elmer. 

44 Think of the poor chap going without a single 
bite for perhaps days and days, ever since he 
broke out of the institution, mebbe,” continued 
the tall chum, shaking his head sympathetically. 
44 He said it was a whole day, but I’ve got a sneak¬ 
ing notion it might have been a heap longer hi that. 
If we’d had our grub with us I’d certainly have 
cooked him a bouncing meal. He’s human, even 
if deranged, poor old chap!” 

From which it can be seen that Perk was not 
the only member of the Camp Fire Boys’ Club 
who had a tender heart, and was able to feel for 
any one in distress, especially when hungry. Such 
a dreadful condition was calculated to appeal to a 
boy more than anything else on the calendar. 

44 Well, what’s next on the program!” asked 
Amos, yawning again. 

44 I’d say sleep would be the most acceptable to 
some fellows,” laughed Elmer. 

4 4 But would it be safe, do you think, with that 
crazy man hanging around!” Wee Willie put out 
at a hazard. 4 4 They ’re all mighty sly, remember; 
and when he made out to walk away mebbe it was 
all a big bluff. He might be meaning to creep 
back here like a red Injun, and take us by sur¬ 
prise.” 


182 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“Then we hadn’t better all sleep at once,” sug¬ 
gested Amos, aroused once- more by this dismal 
prophecy on the part of the other. “Now since 
I’ve had a few winks myself it seems only right 
I should take the first watch.” 

“What time do you reckon it is, near daylight?” 
queried Wee Willie; but on putting it to a test by 
means of the little nickel watch, it was learned 
that the night had by no means advanced that far; 
in fact it was just twelve. 

“Which means we’ve got about five more hours 
before the peep of dawn,” Elmer was saying. 
“Now let’s make ourselves comfortable again, 
and every one try to keep awake; but there must 
be no talking, remember.” 

Elmer knew what the result would be, but he ex¬ 
pected to keep on the alert himself every minute 
of the time, and saw no reason for the others do¬ 
ing likewise. And the result justified his con¬ 
fidence, for first Amos fell off, and later on even 
Wee Willie’s nods as before became more fre¬ 
quent, until finally his head lay on his breast. 

Carefully Elmer managed to ease the strained 
position of the tall chum, so that in the end Wee 
Willie was stretched out alongside Amos, and both 
of them sleeping just as soundly as though snugly 
tucked in their own beds at home. 


183 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

It was a long, long night to Elmer. 

Only his masterful will kept him awake through 
those dragging hours. He heard the screech-owl 
whimpering to his mate; listened to the barking 
of a red fox somewhere in the brush near by; 
knew when a ’coon scampered out of the way as 
the fire, replenished with another log while all of 
the boys were awake, snapped sharply, and threw 
out a sudden red glow. 

Yes, it must have been one of the longest nights 
in all Elmer’s experience, but when the first faint 
streaks of daylight began to appear through the 
trees lying toward the east he felt satisfied that 
he had not broken his word given to himself that 
he must not once waver in his self-appointed task. 

The insane man had not returned, but then 
there had been no certainty concerning this. No 
one could tell what a mind diseased might con¬ 
jure up; and while they had treated Felix Gould 
in a friendly spirit he might not be able to appre¬ 
ciate this, and even look upon them with suspicion, 
as intending to hand him over to those who 
searched the tall timber for an escaped lunatic. 

And so when daylight came on Elmer, poor 
tired fellow, felt glad. 


CHAPTER XX 


ONCE MORE ON THE TRAIL 

At least the signs all pointed to its being a fine 
day. Elmer was glad of that, for they expected to 
have their hands full finding Perk; and a con¬ 
tinuation of the storm of the preceding night must 
have broken up their plans more or less, besides 
proving uncomfortable. 

He was in no hurry to arouse the others. 

4 ‘Let them sleep,’’ he said to himself, with a 
whimsical look on his own rather peaked face; 
“they need it, poor chaps; and neither of them is 
as used to doing without as I’ve schooled myself 
to be.” 

So he moved about just as softly as possible 
while replenishing the fire; and it was really the 
flames snapping that finally aroused Wee Willie. 
He sat upright, and still rubbing one eye stared 
rather sheepishly at Elmer. 

“Huh! a fine sentry I’d make, I guess, to sleep 
on my post,” he mumbled scornfully. “For five 
cents I’d ask some one to give me sixteen good 
kicks.” 

“Oh! that’s far too much hard cash,” chuckled 

184 


185 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

Elmer; “lots of fellows would be glad to do it for 
nothing, Wee Willie. But let’s forget our trou¬ 
bles now the morning’s come, and our unwelcome 
guest hasn’t returned.” 

“Yes, one trouble seems to have skipped out; 
but there are others still,” complained the tall 
chum. “First there’s Perk missing, and nobody 
knows which way to look for him, now the trail’s 
all washed out. Then the second thing that makes 
me sad is the lack of breakfast.” 

He put both hands on his stomach, and grunted 
dismally. 

4 ‘ I guess it hasn’t happened but a few times in all 
my whole life,” he went on to confess, “that Wee 
Willie has been forced to go hungry in the morn¬ 
ing; and I want to tell you right now it’s little 
short of a calamity in my estimation. Why, I’ll 
be shaky all day long; you can’t expect to keep the 
furnace agoing without stoking once so often.” 

“But how about that cake of chocolate each of 
us took along, so as to stave off starvation?” asked 
Elmer, maliciously. 

His chum made a wry face. 

“Well, you see chocolate may be all very fine in 
its place; but it never can make me forget how 
much I love coffee, bacon and eggs, with flapjacks 
to wind up the meal on. Now don’t think I’m 


186 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


scorning chocolate, because it isn’t so; I’ll eat 
every scrap of my cake, and be glad to have it; 
but oh! what an empty void there 11 be after I ’m 
done . 9 9 

Amos must have heard them talking, for he now 
sat up and wanted to know who had mentioned 
coffee. 

‘‘Thought I whiffed it brewing, for a fact,” he 
sniffed, making a wry face, “but it was all imagi¬ 
nation. Think of starting a whole long day on a 
silly piece of chocolate; but if the rest of you can 
stand it I’m not going to kick . 9 9 

“That’s sensible of you, Amos,” laughed 
Elmer; “though kicking wouldn’t be apt to help 
matters any, it strikes me. Let’s sit around and 
talk of our late visitor. ’ ’ 

“Yes, we’d like to hear more details about how 
he went away,” urged the lengthy chum, as he 
clawed in a pocket for the square of hard choco¬ 
late, which upon being produced he started to 
gnaw at eagerly as if the mere thought of hav¬ 
ing no breakfast in prospect made him simply 
ferocious for something upon which to “fill up.” 

Elmer told all he knew as they sat there, wait¬ 
ing for the sun to appear and warm the chilly 
early morning air, before thinking of making a 
start. 


187 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

“Well, I’m glad for one,” ventured Amos, “he 
decided to take French leave, and it was all owing 
to your fine trick, Elmer, in making him believe 
those two asylum guards were around here, and 
apt to drop in on us any old time. Only for that 
he might be sticking to us as tight as any old 
plaster; or the Old Man of the Sea who fastened 
himself to the back of Sindbad the Sailor, you may 
remember, and refused to dismount.” 

They were not long in making way with their 
scant allowance of chocolate. Elmer knew that it 
would be of considerable benefit in allaying the 
pangs of hunger; but Wee Willie could not for¬ 
give himself for not fetching a supply of “real 
stuff” along. 

i i Shucks! we might have known we’d be out all 
night, and want breakfast after a hard day’s 
work, and a night in the open, without even our 
blankets to make things seem halfway cozy. 
Catch me doing such a silly trick again—if I do 
I’ll eat my hat, believe me.” 

“The Camp Fire Boys never make the same 
mistake twice running,” boasted Amos, and then 
in a lower voice adding: “though they do have a 
way of finding out fresh ways for doing the 
wrong things.” 

“They’re only human, and you know what is 


188 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


said about it being the common lot of man to 
err, ’ ’ Elmer told him. ‘ 4 But if we make it a prac¬ 
tice to learn something every time we find we’ve 
figured wrong, well soon be all puffed up with 
knowledge.’’ 

So they chatted, often in a joking vein, as boys 
sometimes will on whose shoulders troubles fall 
even as lightly as water on a duck’s back. 

“About time we thought of starting out, isn’t 
it?” asked Amos, showing a return of his eager¬ 
ness, the others could easily guess why, knowing 
what they did about his intense interest in the 
tramp whom their coming had disturbed when in 
possession of the cabin at the Bend. 

“Yes, for now the sun is up, and by degrees the 
woods will dry out,” Elmer decided. “After 
such a drenching rain we ’ll find every little creek 
full to the banks, though they’ll soon lower again, 
I reckon.” 

“What about my tuning up, and giving Perk 
ftie merry ha! ha?” demanded Wee Willie, who 
apparently must feel in good voice. 

“Whenever you please,” Elmer told him; 
“we’ll try not to be frightened at the racket, 
knowing it’s only you.” 

Wee Willie looked queerly at him, and then 
went on to say half humorously: 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 189 

“Huh! don’t know whether to take that as a 
compliment or not. Makes me think of that fable 
of old .iEsop about the lion and the donkey going 
hunting in company, and coming to a cave where 
a flock of goats had taken refuge. You see, it was 
arranged that the donkey should go inside, and 
frighten the game out; while the lion would lie 
in wait, and kill the goats as they appeared. Well, 
Jack went in and began to hee-haw, and carry on 
something fierce; the goats came rushing out, and 
the lion got his dinner all right. After everything 
was over the proud donkey appeared, and asked 
his partner what he thought of his performance. 
‘Did I do my part well?’ he wanted to know. 
‘Elegantly,’ the lion told him; ‘you made the 
greatest noise I ever heard; and in fact I myself 
might have been frightened if I hadn’t known 
that you were only a donkey!’ ” 

Of course both Amos and Elmer laughed, and 
Wee Willie, too, joined in, for he was one of that 
kind of fellows who are capable of appreciating 
a joke, even at his own expense. 

Elmer showed his careful woodcraft training by 
making sure that every ember of the fire was 
utterly extinguished before quitting the scene of 
their night’s camp. He knew full well about the 
danger that always lurks in a fire left smoulder- 


190 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

ing by those breaking camp; for later on perhaps 
a violent wind might arise.that would carry the 
red embers into some patch of dead leaves, and 
thus result in a serious conflagration. Tens of 
thousands of acres of most valuable woodland 
have been annually destroyed just through such 
criminal carelessness. If hunters and campers 
would only exercise the proper amount of care, 
most of these forest fires might be avoided, and 
beautiful timber tracts remain intact, to delight 
the eyes of those who sought their solitudes for 
rest and recreation during vacation times. 

At last they got started. 

Every little while Wee Willie would throw back 
his head and awaken the echoes with a really 
stentorian whoop, such as might well have made 
an Indian brave look envious. They always lis¬ 
tened afterwards with a degree of eagerness, in 
hopes of catching some return call; but time after 
time it went with only a mocking crow winging its 
flight overhead uttering a derisive “caw”; or 
else a blue jay scolding the invaders of its woods 
haunt. 

Elmer tried to figure out about what course 
Perk was most apt to take. In so doing he had 
their recent experience to guide him; for he easily 
remembered how the lost boy kept unconsciously 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 191 

edging toward the left, as wanderers most gener¬ 
ally do. 

“I notice yon keep on the watch all the while, 
Elmer,’’ said Amos; “while Wee Willie and my¬ 
self use onr eyes to scan the woods on every side, 
hoping to discover a sign of a moving form, or 
maybe a handkerchief waving at ns from some 
far-away tree on a rise, you scan the ground. Do 
you expect to run across his trail again, where 
he started in after the rain was over f 9 9 

“I can’t say I expect that, Amos,” he was told, 
quietly; ‘‘but it’s always possible, you know. 
Perk must be somewhere within five miles of us 
right now, if only we could get in touch with 
him.” 

“It would certainly be a grand good thing if 
we did raise his track once more,” Wee Willie 
attested; “we’d keep on like so many wolves 
chasing their quarry, until we ran him down. But, 
Elmer, I hope we won’t have any difficulty about 
making our way back to camp after we pick Perk 
up?” 

There was a tiny vein of anxiety in the tall 
chum’s query; in fact, Wee Willie was speculat¬ 
ing at the time whether he could contrive to live 
through the day with just that small cake of 
chocolate to sustain his sinking energies. Already 


192 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


he began to claw at any berries he chanced to see 
close to his hand in passing, as though the red 
Antwerps might help him ward off the dreadful 
feeling of distress that came with “ Nature abhor¬ 
ring a vacuum. ’ ’ 

“I’ve got my bearing well in hand,” he was 
calmly assured. “Just as soon as we find our 
chum you’ll see me head around, and I warrant 
I can take you in a bee-line to our jolly old cabin.” 

“That’s the right name to give it, Elmer,” 
agreed Wee Willie, contritely. “At first it looked 
so forlorn and disreputable that any style seemed 
to fit the outfit; and I guess I tacked on a lot of 
sarcastic names such as ‘old,’ ‘shack,’ ‘shanty,’ 
and the like. But, say, right now I beg pardon; 
that same cabin holds the wherewithal that links 
my body to this earth, all our stock of delicious 
food, and for that reason if nothing else, it’s 
going to be the ‘dear old cabin’ to me from this 
time on.” 

Elmer came to a sudden stop, and held up his 
hand. 

“Listen!” he said abruptly. 


CHAPTER XXI 


‘ * TOOT—TOOT-T-O-OOT !’ 9 

Hardly had half a minute silently passed 
when a thrill shot through each figure. No cawing 
crow could make that peculiar sound; no red¬ 
headed woodpecker tapping at the rotten limb 
of a tree utter a scream of similar import. 

Elmer did not, like some boys would have done, 
immediately whirl triumphantly on his mates, and 
say impressively: “What did I tell you?” On 
the contrary he looked very happy as he simply 
said: “Sound familiar, boys?” 

“It’s Perk, all right!” snapped Amos, joyously. 

“Yes,” added Wee Willie in a tone of absolute 
relief, as though a tremendous weight had drop¬ 
ped from his narrow shoulders, “that’s the gay 
toot of the old tin fox-and-geese horn Perk always 
makes a habit of carrying around with him.” 

“I agree with you, boys,” said Elmer simply, 
as he once again started to “lead the pack.” 

All of them became quite merry from that mo¬ 
ment on. It was as though the expectation of hav¬ 
ing their long quest rewarded by the discovery of 
the lost chum filled them with supreme happiness. 

193 


194 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


Naturally the first thing that sprang from this 
condition of affairs was a revival of reminiscences 
connected with that self-same tin horn of Perk’s, 
now destined to have new glory placed to its 
credit. 

“I remember how Perk always carries that old 
horn along with him everywhere,’ ’ said Wee 
Willie, with a laugh. “Why, last winter when 
we went in sleighs to country barn-dances, on 
the way home at midnight, with the moon right 
overhead, and every fellow trying to get ahead 
in the mad race back, above the calls of the boys, 
and the laughing and shrieks of the girls when 
there was an upset, you could always hear that old 
horn tooting like mad. Perk just couldn’t be 
happy without it. They say he takes it to bed 
with him; and one night frightened his folks half 
to death by sending out horrible squawks while in 
his sleep.” 

That caused all of them to laugh again, for they 
were feeling decidedly merry by now. Impend¬ 
ing success always begets such a condition with 
boys, who only see the present, or the immediate 
future, and do not worry as to what Time may 
have in store for them. 

“There was another story told about Perk 
and his horn that I remember,” mused Amos. 


95 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

“ Sounds almost too rotten silly to be true, and 
I kind of half suspect some fellow manufactured 
it. But they say that last Fall, in the thrilling 
football game between Chester High and that 
strong eleven coming up from Bellwood when 
luck allowed our chum, playing with Chester, to 
kick the deciding goal, wdiile the crowd yelled like 
mad, his old horn was heard above all the din; 
and they do say he had it with him all along, con¬ 
cealed somewhere; but everybody laughs when 
they tell you that yarn, so I reckon it’s all made 
up out of whole cloth.” 

“Give him another whoop, W. W.!” said 
Elmer. 

Gladly did the tall chum avail himself of the 
privilege, and this time they felt a full con¬ 
fidence while listening for a response. 

“There, that’s the boy, all right!” cried Wee 
Willie. “We ought to congratulate each other on 
the success of our search, because the game is 
winding up. ’ ’ 

“So is Perk, it seems,” chuckled Amos, in 
amusement, as other weird blasts came to their 
ears, all from the same quarter. 

Elmer changed his course just a trifle. It was 
like a mariner after a storm adjusting his com¬ 
pass once more, now sure of his points, after being 


196 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

able to take a reckoning during a burst of sun¬ 
light. 

How different everything looked under the new 
order of things! No one longer thought the 
woods gloomy, or filled with unknown perils; the 
cheery sunlight breaking through the opening 
overhead seemed to cast a halo over the aisles 
of the tall timber, making them look like fairy¬ 
land itself, such is the effect of impending victory 
on the human mind. 

“I wonder if the poor fellow is nearly half 
starved at that?” Wee Willie was saying, as he 
trudged ahead; for no one could think of a single 
thing that did not have some bearing on Perk. 

Amos was seen to tap his pocket suggestively, 
as though wishing to make assurance doubly cer¬ 
tain before speaking. 

“Well, I’ve kept his square of that fine choco¬ 
late carefully, and it’ll be pretty refreshing, I 
reckon. You all know that Perk is wildly fond 
of the stuff, and eats it by the yard, week in and 
week out. They say that’s one reason of his being 
so fat.” 

“Aw! they’re only joshing you, Amos,” 
chortled Wee Willie. “He comes by that just 
naturally, you see. When Nature shapes a boy 
to be as round as a rain barrel it doesn’t matter 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


197 


one whit what he eats, or how much, he’s bound 
to keep on filling out. Just the same way if a 
fellow’s going to be thin and scrawny, like me, 
f’r instance, you c’n stuff and stuff him with 
every sort of fattening food; and, say, he keeps 
on growing skinnier all the while. I’ve been 
through that thing, and there’s absolutely nothing 
in it. I eat because I like my food, and not just 
to try to pick up a pound or two of flesh. ’ ’ 

Elmer laughed as if amused. He knew Wee 
Willie’s principles of old, and doubtless also 
fancied there was considerable of good hard com¬ 
mon-sense in what he had just said. 

By now the blare of the fish horn was quite 
loud, as from time to time it continued to well 
forth. Wee Willie occasionally sent out an an¬ 
swering yell, just to reassure Perk. 

1 ‘It’s going to make our work lighter if he 
keeps on tooting away,” was his explanation for 
this periodical outburst. ‘‘If all of a sudden he 
let up, why, we might have some trouble in actu¬ 
ally locating Perk; because, you see the woods 
are growing mighty dense around here. Such 
monster trees, too; I don’t believe I’ve seen their 
equal anywhere about Chester. Why, you’d 
nearly think you were out among those monster 
redwoods of California.” 


198 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“There’s one that’s hollow,” observed Amos, 
pointing; “and what a fine old refuge the big 
cavity would be in a snow-squall, for it faces the 
south. A hunter caught in a big fall of snow could 
even have a little fire going to keep warm by, if 
he took care not to burn his house down in the 
bargain. ’ ’ 

“There’s one that must have been struck by a 
bolt last night,” suddenly observed Elmer, with 
a touch of awe in his voice; for the wreck of the 
great forest monarch was supreme, branches and 
splintered wood covering all the immediate neigh¬ 
borhood. 

“I’m glad Perk didn’t forget what he’s been 
told about such things, and seek shelter in a hol¬ 
low tree while a thunder storm was raging,” 
Amos continued. “A poor chap wouldn’t know 
what hurt him, if he had been in that tree, or 
even hiding under its sheltering branches, when 
the bolt fell.” 

Elmer turned a trifle more to the left. That 
last toot gave him his clue, and he felt certain now 
that even though they should catch no further 
signals from Perk’s fish-horn he could pilot the 
expedition straight to the spot where the missing 
chum was awaiting their coming. 

“Why, he’s right close by,” said Wee Willie. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


199 


“Given ten minutes more, and well be shaking 
his hand, ’’ affirmed the guide, positively. 

“Good old Perk!” Wee Willie could be heard 
saying over and over, while his freckled face fairly 
beamed with satisfaction. 

It spoke well for the sunny disposition of the 
rotund comrade when his mates displayed such 
enthusiasm over the prospect of once again com¬ 
ing in personal contact with him. And it must 
be remembered that the separation was only a 
matter of less than twenty hours; whereas from 
the wild ebullition of their feelings one might 
fancy Perk had been gone for ages and ages. 

Perhaps in times past the queer sound of that 
battered horn which was Perk’s especial delight 
may have jarred on the nerves of Wee Willie, for 
it certainly produced what might be called a dis¬ 
cordant series of notes; but just now he reckoned 
them the sweetest chords he had ever known; 
which only goes to prove the truth of that old say¬ 
ing to the effect that “circumstances alter cases.” 

Suddenly there was a startling movement, and 
some object broke from the heavy brush to one 
side of them, dashing away with great speed; 
while the trio of boys stood there as if rooted to 
the spot. 


CHAPTER XXII 


NOT SO SLOW, AFTER ALL 

*‘ Hello! hello! Perk!” called the long-legged 
chum. 

“Hi! there, Wee Willie! you’ve been an awful 
long time coming!” said a voice so close by that 
it thrilled them through and through. 

They instinctively started on a gallop, broke 
past a screen of bushes that lay in a little opening 
of the timber, and there saw Perk, standing with 
outstretched hand, and a wide grin ornamenting 
his glowing face. 

Elmer actually threw his arms about the boy, 
he was so wildly glad to see him once more safe 
and sound; Wee Willie, too, did not seem ashamed 
to follow suit; while Amos less familiar, seemed 
satisfied to pounce upon one of Perk’s chubby 
hands, which he started working up and down as 
methodically as though he had been a milkman, 
as the tall chum said, and was schooled in the 
method of adding to the daily output of the herd 
by means of the barn pump. 

Perk was laughing, even while his eyes showed 
200 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 201 

plain signs of being humid, so great was his 
emotion. 

“Say, don’t squeeze me into a jelly, boys, 
please!” he breathlessly protested, in mock seri¬ 
ousness. “Why, you’d think I was the Prodigal 
Son come home to Dad’s house to help eat the 
fatted calf. And speaking of eating, oh! have 
any of you got a crumb, or something to stay 
the awful feeling of emptiness in the pit of my 
stomach?” 

Amos thereupon dragged out the square of 
chocolate, possibly mentally lamenting that he had 
been so greedy as to devour every scrap of his 
own cake. Upon this fat Perk descended like a 
hawk, though the others were more or less sur¬ 
prised to see him scrupulously divide it in exact 
halves before consenting to put a particle of it 
in his mouth. 

“Yum! yum! that does go to the spot!” he 
hastened to mumble, rubbing his paunch with evi¬ 
dent gratification; while the look in his eyes as 
much as said: “The only bad thing about is the 
limited supply.” 

4 i How did you put in the time while that storm 
was booming, we all want to know, Perk?” Wee 
Willie was now saying. 


202 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


At that the other grinned happily. 

“Oh! I’ve had a wonderful time, all told, fel- 
lows, J ’ he announced. “Since I left camp I’ve 
been through a heap of adventures, believe me. 
No use harping on a disagreeable subject, so 
you 11 just have to imagine how I got twisted up 
in my bearings, and finally had to admit that I 
was once more in the same old fix,—actually and 
truly lost. 

i ‘ Then the storm caught me while I was sitting 
beside a little fire I ’d managed to make, for these 
days you know I always keep a supply of matches 
on hand for just such emergencies. Well, it put 
my fire out in short order, and there I was, get¬ 
ting soaked to the skin, and picking my way along 
through the black woods, not knowing when I 
might run slap against a hungry wild cat, or else 
that bear we saw up in the tree. 

“After I got so wet it didn’t matter, I just 
kept moving about till the storm let up. Then 
feeling chilly I began trying out the setting-up 
exercises that they use in the army, which soon 
made me comfy again.” 

“No use talking, you are improving, Perk,” 
said Wee Willie, admiringly. 

“Oh! I’m getting there, by degrees,” the other 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


203 


told him, with a queer look on his face that even 
Elmer could not understand; Perk seemed to be 
cherishing a secret of some sort, which he was 
loath to impart until he had piqued their curiosity 
to the utmost; that was all Elmer could settle in 
his mind. 

“But you’re fairly dry right now, seems like,” 
said Amos; “how did you manage to do that, 
Perk, if it’s a fair question!” 

“Eire, again,” chuckled the other; “nothing 
like it to dry you out; only it did make me feel 
homesick to see those flames playing so merrily, 
and me without a single scrap of grub to keep up 
my strength—that was really the worst part of 
the whole business, boys.” 

“But with everything so soaking wet around, 
how did you manage to get a fire started!” de¬ 
manded Wee Willie, incredulously. 

“Huh! needn’t think you’ve got a foreclosure 
on all the woodcraft knowledge that’s lying 
around loose, Wee Willie,” snorted the fat chum, 
grimly. “Say, I’ve bee'n taking lessons, and ex¬ 
perimenting in some of the ways you have for 
making a fire. I haven’t so far been able to bring 
a blaze by means of a twirling stick with a bow 
to turn it; but shucks! it isn’t any great punkins 


204 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


to knock some dry wood out of an old log, and 
start it to going, if you’ve only got plenty of 
matches along; which was what I did! ’ 9 
Wee Willie whistled, to indicate his surprise. 
Really it was next door to thrilling to know how 
the once dull Perk seemed to be picking up points 
in woodcraft; even though he did persist in still 
getting lost periodically. 

“You’re sure a comer, Perk!” declared the tall 
chum. “Mebbe I’ll be glad to sit at your feet 
and soak in wisdom one of these days. ’ ’ 

“No blarney or soft soap, please, fellows,” con¬ 
tinued the other, suspecting that they were only 
“joshing” him. “I hope I am improving, that’s 
all; and that some day I ’ll even learn how to find 
my way back to camp on a bee-line. But whew! 
it was something fierce when that bolt shivered 
one of the big trees not so far away. I thought 
for sure my time had come, it sort of knocked me 
over, you see. ’ ’ 

“We had something of the same experience,” 
Elmer told him; “and can understand how un¬ 
easy you must have felt.” 

“Only,” added Amos, quickly, “Elmer managed 
to pilot us to where there was a fine shelf of rock, 
under which we crept, so as to get out of the 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 205 

downpour. We didn’t dare stay under a tree, 
with all that lightning bursting around us. ’ ’ 

“I knew that too,” Perk hastened to explain, 
“and so I passed by a splendid hiding place in a 
hollow oak. It looked mighty tempting, though, 
when I first discovered it by a flash of lightning; 
and I had to take a grip on myself to keep from 
giving in.” 

“You certainly deserve a heap of credit, Perk; 
we ’re proud of you, ” he was told by Elmer, which 
praise made the fat boy’s blue eyes gleam with 
supreme happiness; Perk evidently considered it 
the highest possible honor to be complimented by 
the one to whom he was accustomed to look as a 
leader. 

“Of course, I tumbled around a good bit while 
making my way along in the dark,” the other 
frankly continued; “and I’m scratched up some¬ 
thing fierce; but it’s all in the game, and you 
won’t hear me squealing any, boys. I’m only 
thankful it’s finished as well as it has; and mebbe 
I’ve picked up a few points for taking care of 
myself in the wilds. Anyhow I c’n make a fire, 
no matter how wet everything is around; and say, 
that’s something worth while—for Perk!” 

Again and again did he look particularly at 


20 G 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


Amos, Elmer could not help noticing; and he 
found himself wondering why the new chum 
should engage so much of Perk’s attention. There 
was also something most mysterious in the way 
he kept grinning; Elmer knew Perk in and out, 
and could not understand what the other had con¬ 
cealed “up his sleeve/’ Usually frankness it¬ 
self, Perk must be practicing a new role to act in 
this fashion, Elmer concluded. He would cer¬ 
tainly bear watching, for he acted as though 
hardly able to keep from springing some surprise 
on them. 

“But you fellows are as dry as a bone!” Perk 
now exclaimed, as he put his hand caressingly on 
Elmer’s sleeve; “so I reckon you either didn’t 
get wet in the storm, or else have dried off since 
before a jolly blaze.” 

“Oh! we had a fire, all right,” mentioned Wee 
Willie, “and got dry in almost no time. The blaze 
had a result, though, we didn’t figure on.” 

“What was that?” demanded the other curi¬ 
ously, again grinning mysteriously. 

“Oh! it was seen by some one, and we found 
we had an uninvited guest,” explained Wee 
Willie. 

“Huh! you don’t tell me; now that’s some 


207 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

queer !” exploded Perk, round-eyed by this time. 
i ‘Who was your visitor, Wee Willie?” 

“A dapper-looking chap who told us he was 
Doctor Hitchens, from over at the State Asylum 
for the Insane,” said the tall chum. “He was 
a wonderful talker, you must know, and fairly got 
me under his spell. But fortunately Elmer here 
sized him up at his true worth. Whom do you 
think he turned out to be, Perk?” 

“Not—the—tramp?” gasped the other, in¬ 
credulously. 

“Shucks! no,” retorted Wee Willie, disdain¬ 
fully; “who but that cunning Felix Gould, the 
chap you may remember those uniformed guards 
were looking for when they knocked at our cabin 
door the other night.” 

Perk was seemingly much impressed by this 
startling information. 

“Gee whiz! tell me all about it, Wee Willie,” 
he hastened to cry. ‘ ‘ How did Elmer know; what 
happened later on; and how did you manage to 
get rid of the crazy man without having trouble?” 

This was just the opening wedge for Wee 
Willie. He took the center of the stage and pro¬ 
ceeded to spin the whole exciting yam; while 
Perk stood there, his face expressing alternate 


208 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

awe and then amusement. Several times when so 
far as Elmer could see there was no occasion for 
such a thing he seemed to be overwhelmed with 
a wild desire to laugh; which would end in a 
coughing fit, during which Wee Willie consid¬ 
erately “held up” his explanation. 

“What can ail Perk?” Elmer was asking him¬ 
self, unable to understand such unusual actions 
on the part of the chum who in times past had 
always been frankness itself. “He’s certainly 
keeping something important back, meaning to 
give us all a surprise. I wonder what it is. He ’ll 
bear watching, I reckon, Perk will. ’ ’ 

By degrees the story was told, down to the 
point where Elmer woke the other two up, to 
inform them his little trap had worked, and how 
Felix had taken himself off, unwilling to wait un¬ 
til those blue-coated guards from the big institu¬ 
tion run by the State came along to renew ac¬ 
quaintance with “Doctor Hitchens.” 

“Well, you did have a thrilling experience for 
a fact, ’ ’ Perk blurted out in his customary breezy 
fashion, when Wee Willie finally subsided. “I 
should say it was a lucky thing he skipped out, 
and never tried to do you any harm. Ugh! I 
was always afraid of crazy people; they make me 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


209 


feel cold through and through. So I’m mighty 
glad he saw your blaze, and not my little fire. 
Fancy spending a night alone in the woods with a 
wild man, watching to see when you went to sleep, 
so he could mebbe throttle you!” 

“It was an experience none of us is likely to 
forget, for a fact,” Elmer candidly admitted; 
“but we came through it all safe and sound, so 
we feel as if we had a lot to be thankful for.” 

“Now,” remarked Perk, presently, “if a 
stranger came to my fire, and wanted to be taken 
in, I’d give him the glad hand; but all the same 
I’d ask him for his credentials. It isn’t safe to 
believe everybody a friend in these parts, Wee 
Willie. You think you’ve got a story to tell that’s 
going to make the fellows down Chester-way sit 
up and take notice. Well, I can match you, un¬ 
derstand ! ’ ’ 

“W-w-what’s that, Perk?” stammered Wee 
Willie; while Elmer nodded his head as much as 
to say: “it’s coming out now; go to it, Perk, old 
chum! ’ ’ 

“Why,” said Perk, “you’re not the only pebble 
on the beach; because I entertained a stranger at 
my fire last night, just the same as you did!” 


CHAPTER XXIII 


WHAT PEEK DID 

The tall boy stared hard at Perk when he made 
that astonishing announcement. 

4 ‘What! did he drop in on you too?” he gasped, 
and then added quickly: “but you just said you’d 
be wild if a crazy man came into camp. Perk, 
whatever are you giving us? It isn’t like you to 
yarn.’ ’ 

“Oh! let me tell you,” continued the other, 
softly, like one who delighted in making hay 
while the sun shone; it wasn’t often Perk had 
a chance to whet the curiosity of his chums, and 
evidently he was bent on making the most of the 
present opportunity. 

“Wish you would !’ 9 grumbled Wee Willie, look¬ 
ing unhappy because he was unable to see through 
the maze that confronted him, and understand 
just what that smirk on Perk’s round phiz meant. 

“To go back,” remarked Perk, reminiscently, 
“I had managed to build a bully fire, and was 
getting nicely dried out. That was along about 
midnight, I should say. The storm was past, 
210 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


211 


and since the lightning had stopped except away 
off in the distance, I wasn’t afraid any longer to 
occupy a hollow tree I’d marked down, and under 
which I found my wood-pile. 

“Well, there I was, beginning to feel that life 
wasn’t so tough a thing after all, when I heard 
some one calling. Oh! yes, it made me have a 
funny feeling I admit, because there I was away 
off by myself, alone in the flooded woods, with 
the trees still dripping, and the thunder growling 
in the distance. 

“But I could tell that whoever it was trying to 
attract my attention he must be in some pain; 
and so I made up my mind it was up to me to 
start out and find him. That was the time, boys, 
I wished I had a gun along with me; for I remem¬ 
bered about that crazy man, and it didn’t make me 
at all happy either. 

“I went out, after fixing my fire so I could easy 
enough get back, if nothing grabbed me. He kept 
calling, and soon I came on him, trying his best 
to limp along. You see, he’d gone and sprained 
his ankle pretty badly, and couldn’t bear to put 
that foot on the ground. 

“That stirred me, I tell you, fellows. I tried 
to remember everything I’d ever been told about 


212 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


sprains, and what was best to do for them. Come 
to look and I found that it was a bad injury, with 
his ankle a heap swollen; and, say, I bet you it 
hurt like everything; all of which was especially 
bad for him, because, well for a good reason. 

1 ‘I made him lean on me, and step by step 
managed to get the poor chap over to my fire, 
where I stowed him on some branches I’d gone 
and gathered and dried out with the heat. Then 
I took off his shoe, and bathed his ankle with cold 
water from a little creek that was running bank- 
full close by. 

“He said he felt a lot better afterwards, but 
kept groaning every once in a while, I didn’t know 
just why, except that he knew he’d probably not 
be able to walk decent for weeks again. That 
makes some difference to a fellow, I happen to 
know, because I’ve had a sprained ankle myself, 
and had to stay out of school for three whole 
weeks, using a cane afterwards.” 

“Huh! that was a terrible time for you, Perk,” 
grunted Wee Willie, “and ever so many fellows 
saying they envied you the chance. But keep 
right along telling the details. Was he a dark¬ 
faced, wiry-looking chap; and could he talk like 
a house afire?” 


213 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

“Not my visitor, Wee Willie. I hope now you 
don’t think I entertained that wild man, like you 
did?” Perk protested. 

“Hardly possible,” said Elmer, “for he went 
away in the opposite direction to this; and be¬ 
sides, couldn’t have been at our fire until mid¬ 
night, and then bobbed up away off here at the 
same time.” 

“Just so,” continued Perk, sagaciously; and 
then went on to tell how he had arranged things 
for the comfort of his caller. 

Elmer already “smelled a rat.” He began to 
see which way the wind was blowing, and could 
now understand why Perk had been casting so 
many queer glances in the direction of Amos. 
There was a reason , and a good one for this; and 
Elmer was now in a fair position to read between 
the lines as it were. 

“Now I know,” broke in Wee Willie after a bit, 
“why you broke that cake of chocolate in two, 
and ate only half of it; you mean the rest for this 
fellow you’ve taken under your wing, eh, Perk!” 

The other nodded eagerly. 

“I’m sure he must be nearly as hungry as I 
am,” he explained, “though he said he wasn’t, 
and that he’d eaten a full supper last night, which 


214 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

of course I didn’t. But it wouldn’t be fair for 
me to swallow the whole cake, so I’m saving his 
share. ’ ’ 

“I believe you’d do the same for the worst 
scoundrel unhung, if he happened to fall into 
your hands, like this chap with the sprained ankle 
did, ’ ’ Elmer boldly told him. ‘ ‘ You’ve got a heart 
as big as a bushel basket, Perk; and think of every 
one before yourself-” 

“But how anybody could do different, I can’t 
for the life of me see,” protested the other, simply. 

By now Elmer believed he began to see light. 
Wee Willie, however, proved denser, for he was 
still wrestling with the problem in his mind, won¬ 
dering who on earth it could be Perk had come 
upon so soon after the storm, and whose injuries 
he had attended to as best he knew how, with his 
limited knowledge of “first aid.” 

Amos, too, was hanging on every word that was 
spoken. Apparently he had also conceived some 
sort of plausible explanation for Perk’s actions. 
When the latter found Amos so eagerly observ¬ 
ing him, with that hungry light in his eyes, he 
hastily turned his head away. Elmer wondered 
why Perk did not seem to be embarrassed in any 
way, so he must conclude that the other simply 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


215 


meant to enjoy their bewilderment as long as he 
reasonably could, before lifting the curtain and 
disclosing his secret to full view. 

“It’s going to break right away,” Elmer told 
himself, confidently. “He just can’t hug that 
much longer to himself. Besides, Perk never 
could be cruel, even to an insect. Haven’t I seen 
him carefully step over an ants’ nest many a time, 
when other boys would carelessly trample it un¬ 
derfoot? And he’ll soon realize that in holding 
back he’s causing some one to suffer. ’ ’ 

So Elmer did not raise a hand to hasten the 
disclosure, content to let matters take their course. 
Wee Willie on his part now began to scent some 
wonderful mystery. 

“See here, Perk,” he broke in, with an 
assumption of severity; “you’re trying to pull 
the wool over our eyes, for some reason or other, 
I guess. Now quit your kidding, and show us. 
Where’s your friend ? Produce this man with the 
sprained ankle, won’t you, Perk? We’d all like 
to make his acquaintance, don’t you know? Here’s 
Elmer getting as impatient as anything, even if 
he doesn’t show it; and as for Amos, why he can 
hardly wait for you to lift the lid. I’m in the 
same box myself; so lead us to him, Perk!” 


216 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“He’s close by here, I want you to know,” ex¬ 
plained the fat chum, chuckling in his mysterious 
way. ‘ ‘ Mebbe you ’ll be surprised to meet up with 
him. It might even be you’ll think I builded bet¬ 
ter than I suspected when I answered that call 
for help, and ventured out to find this poor chap.” 

He was looking straight at Amos while saying 
this, though apparently speaking to Wee Willie. 
Amos was as white as a sheet, and his limbs 
seemed to be trembling under him, for some rea¬ 
son or other. There was also a pleading look in 
his eyes that made Perk squirm, and feel that he 
was displaying unnecessary cruelty in holding 
back as he did. 

“Please, oh! please take us to him right away, 
won’t you, Perk!” 

11 That’s just what I’m going to do, Amos, ’ ’ he 
replied. “So come along, all of you, and meet 
my friend, the man who doesn’t expect to walk 
for a whole month, because it happens to be 
his only good foot that’s knocked out of business, 
since he’s lame in the other!” 

Saying which, he started the excited boys on a 
bee-line through the woods. 


CHAPTER XXIV 


WHEN THE SUN BROKE THROUGH 

‘ ‘ There ! 9 7 

That was all Perk could say as he gripped 
Amos’s sleeve with a convulsive hand, and 
pointed beyond. His heart seemed to be up in 
his throat, threatening to choke him. But it was 
quite sufficient. 

The man who had been reclining must have 
heard voices, for he was already struggling to a 
sitting posture. Amos took one look. The face 
was prematurely old, and just then wrinkled with 
physical pain; but the eyes of love may not be 
deceived long. With a sobbing cry Amos rushed 
forward. 

‘‘Father! ’ ’ he cried in a choking voice, dropping 
beside the man, and throwing both arms about his 
neck. 

The other boys stood stock still. Not one of 
them but who felt himself rendered dumb with the 
conflicting emotions that ran riot through brain 
and heart. They saw the tramp push Amos back 
to look hungrily into his eager face; and then 
217 


218 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


despite the anguish it must have caused him 
through that swollen ankle he almost fiercely 
squeezed the other to him, while tears ran down 
his sunburned cheeks. 

The boys turned their faces away, feeling as 
though it might not be exactly a delicate thing 
for them to witness the holy joy that accompanied 
this meeting between their chum Amos and the 
father who had gone away seven years ago under 
a cloud, and whose family had believed him to be 
dead all this time, because he had failed to com¬ 
municate with them. 

Presently Amos called to them to come and 
meet his father. He seemed almost transformed, 
such was the happiness shown on his boyish face. 
Elmer could not believe it was the same sober- 
looking Amos whom he had come to know; the 
long-borne burden had been taken from the young 
shoulders, and thrown aside, never again to bow 
him down before his time. 

So in turn they shook hands with Mr. Codling. 
He did not look so very much like a homeless 
tramp, Elmer quickly decided. Indeed, now that 
he forgot his suffering in the great peace and joy 
that had come to him, he seemed a very decent- 
looking and intelligent man indeed; and Elmer 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 219 

liked the kind expression he could see in the re¬ 
turned wanderer’s eyes. 

“First of all,” said Elmer, business clean 
through, “let’s have a look at Perk’s work. It’s 
possible we may be able to better it; though I 
reckon he’s done his level best. ’ ’ 

To this the injured man made no remonstrance. 
Indeed, he could hardly tear his eyes from the 
face of Amos, who sat there beside him all the 
time Elmer and Wee Willie went about their 
work. 

“Tell me about your mother, boy,” the wan¬ 
derer was saying, feverishly. “How is Amanda; 
yes, and the little ones! Did she take you to her 
aunt’s as she promised! And oh! I am shivering 
for fear you may have bad news for me. I’ve 
stood a great deal, and tried to believe my punish¬ 
ment was just; but I hope there is no break in the 
family—that all are yet alive.” 

“It’s all right, father,” Amos hastened to tell 
him. “And you’ll never in the wide world know 
Kittie and Louise, yes, and Peter, the baby you 
last saw. Why, just think of it, he’s eight now, 
going to school, and mother says that every day 
he’s getting to be more like you were when you 
first knew her.” 


220 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


This affected Mr. Codling greatly, for his 
face worked convulsively, though he also smiled 
through it all. 

“ Oh! if you only knew how I have suffered, son, 
all these years,’’ he went on to say, “but I would 
not break my vow. They should never see nor hear 
from me again unless I could wipe out the bitter 
past. But I am grateful to know that while I 
wandered the country over, always trying to rise 
above the level to which I had sunk, at least my 
dear ones have not suffered from want.” 

“Believe me, mother will go wild with joy to 
see you again, ’’ Amos told him. 

The man, old beyond his years, looked pained 
at first. 

“Do you think so, Amos?” he muttered, as 
though hardly daring to believe such good news. 
“It will take a terrible load off my heart when I 
am able to redeem the past, so far as a mere re¬ 
turn of the lost money can ever make amends.” 

Amos laughed. 

“Don’t let it worry you, father,” he hastened 
to say. “ That was all attended to long ago. Why, 
for more than six years now there hasn’t been the 
slightest thing against you; and Mr. Hastings 
never let it be known that he had lost a large sum 


221 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

of money through your fault. So you see there 
has really been no publicity at all; in fact, these 
good chums of mine are the only ones who know 
about it; and they’ve promised never to let it go 
any further. ’’ 

“But—I’ve been expecting all this time that the 
money would he paid over only through hard work 
on my part,” stammered Mr. Codling, weakly; 
‘ ‘ and here, when I ’m making my way hack in the 
direction of my old home, meaning to wipe out 
my error, you’re telling me there is nothing to 
be done. Whose money was it that settled the 
claim against me?” 

“Oh! mother attended to all that, sir. Why, I 
believe the very first thing she did after her 
Aunt Letty died and left everything to us, was 
to hurry to see Mr. Hastings in the city, and 
arrange with him to take up his claim. So you 
see no outside assistance was needed; we took 
care of things right in the family, father.” 

“But—Aunt Letty wasn’t so rich but that this 
must have sadly crippled your dear mother’s re¬ 
sources, Amos,” expostulated the man, suppress¬ 
ing a groan that might have been from mental 
pain, though Elmer and Wee Willie were gently 
handling his swollen ankle at the time. 


222 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“Oh! there was quite enough left, sir, to keep 
the wolf from the door, ,, the brave boy hastened 
to declare, though Elmer remembered him saying 
something that was quite different not so very 
long back. 

“It is wonderful, simply wonderful!” mur¬ 
mured the wanderer, heaving a sigh of supreme 
contentment, such as probably had not passed 
his lips for seven long agonizing years. ‘ i To come 
back after this age and find that God has been 
so kind, so forgiving as to leave me all my dear 
ones. I can never be grateful enough to Him 
for these mercies. The hours will seem like years 
to me until I can look again into her blessed eyes, 
and hear her say that true love has survived it 
all.” 

“If you knew how often she speaks to me of you, 
father, how many times I’ve found my mother 
crying to herself after the children were all in 
bed, you’d have no fear about that. Her one 
great dread was that you might be dead, and 
we ’d never know about it at all.’ 9 

“I can see now how cruel, yes, and foolish, I 
was to bind myself by that vow, and keep from 
communicating with my family all this time. I 
might have been saved much suffering, and spared 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 223 

her the same. But I believed I had almost broken 
her heart by my folly, and meant to punish my¬ 
self in justice. A baffling Fortune gripped me, 
too; twice I was in almost good shape to come 
back and clear my name, when a sudden shift 
swept my savings away, and left me stranded 
again on the rocks.’’ 

“But it’s all right now, father; and after we 
can get you down to Chester, the town where we 
are now living, you will soon be able to walk 
again.” 

“That’s going to be a difficult job, I’m afraid, 
son,” said the other, with a grimace, as though 
a pain reminded him just how badly off he was. 
“You see, I’ve always been under a handicap, 
with that one short leg; and now that the other 
is knocked out of business, I’m nearly helpless.” 

“Oh! leave that to my chums here, father,” 
Amos cheerily told him. i ‘ They are master hands 
about doing things; and I reckon we’ll soon be 
able to make some kind of litter on which we can 
carry you every step of the way. ’ ’ 

“How fine of you to say that; and how proud 
I am of my boy! I only hope and pray that the 
bitter experiences through which I have passed 
may always serve as a guide-post to you through 


224 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


life, warning yon of the hidden perils when once 
wrong thoughts find entrance to the mind.” 

Meanwhile Elmer and Wee Willie had done 
their best to ease the pain. A sprained ankle 
can be a thing of anguish, and its effects are often 
felt for many moons after it happens; indeed, 
most persons would really sooner endure a broken 
leg than such an affliction, since a fracture mends 
much quicker. 

They found that Perk had done very well, con¬ 
sidering his inexperience; his work was of course 
a bit bungling, though it had done wonders in 
easing the pain, and also helped keep down the 
swelling considerably. 

“We’ll keep you quiet while up here with us, 
Mr. Codling,” Elmer told him; “and in a few 
days you’ll be in much better shape. Then, as 
Amos says, we’ll manage to rig up a stretcher, 
and carry you all the way to Chester; or else to 
some farm-house on the main road below, and 
phone for a car to meet us.” 

“Thank you a thousand times, Elmer,” said 
the other, earnestly. “You are all splendid 
chaps, and I’m a fortunate man to find myself 
so well taken care of. I shall be counting the 
hours and minutes until I can see my family 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


22 5 


again; but with Amos beside me, to answer all 
my questions, I’ll try to rest content. Surely I 
have no reason to be unhappy, now that the clouds 
have rolled away, and the sun of peace is shining 
for me and mine again.” 

He smiled bravely, and Elmer had a faint 
suspicion there was a sparkle in his eyes that 
meant something. Just as he formerly guessed 
that Amos must be carrying a heavy and secret 
load on his young shoulders, from his serious 
manner, so Elmer now shrewdly decided that Mr. 
Codling was keeping something back, something 
which presently he would be springing as a sur¬ 
prise. 

i 1 The first thing we have to do is to get back to 
the cabin,” Wee Willie suggested. 

“You’ve said it,” Elmer admitted, “and sup¬ 
pose you get busy with that good hatchet of 
yours, so we can make a temporary litter.” 

“Leave that to me,” chuckled the tall chum, 
who really liked nothing better than to be thrown 
on his own resources, since it always served to 
bring out latent powers which he had hardly 
known he possessed, as well as wrought a sense of 
independence such as a progressive boy liked full 
well to feel. 


226 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


He began chopping at small but sturdy second- 
growth ash saplings growing from the butt of a 
tree that had been thrown down in some previous 
storm, and soon had quite a collection on hand. 

“Now, if you’ll help, Elmer,” he observed, 
“we’ll rig up a stretcher good enough for an 
emergency; though later on I ’ll promise to better 
it in every way.” 

To this Elmer agreed, and they had little trouble 
about carrying out the assignment. It was not a 
“thing of beauty, and a joy forever,” as Wee 
Willie candidly admitted, but then they would 
only require it for a short journey, and on that 
account it would hardly pay to go to any great 
trouble. 

They lifted Mr. Codling on to this. Fortunately 
he was a small man, so the labor of transporting 
him would not be very great; and there was Amos 
only too willing to “spell” either of the litter- 
bearers. 

Elmer considered well before making a start. 
He wished to be absolutely certain of his ground, 
since it would be too bad if they missed the cabin, 
and hence lengthened their tramp. Wee Willie 
also figured things out in his own mind; and from 
the way he wagged his head in appreciation, after 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 227 

Elmer led off, it was plain that his judgment must 
be identical with that of his chum. 

Amos talked almost incessantly, for he had a 
thousand things of interest to pour into the eager 
ears of his long-lost father. Mr. Codling never 
gave even the faintest groan during the entire 
journey, though there must have been times when 
he found himself jostled more or less, since the 
trail was rough, and the slightest jerk would prob¬ 
ably send a thrill through his leg. 

But his mind was filled with a peace that passed 
understanding. All the agonies of seven years 
had rolled away. Once more he looked ahead to 
happiness during the balance of his sad life. Only 
again and again across his face would come a 
look of intense yearning, as voluble Amos did his 
best to picture just how pretty Kitty, the twelve- 
year old girl, was growing, so like her mother too; 
and what a smart scholar Louise had turned out 
at school, a perfect genius, many said; while 
Peter, bless his heart, was the dearest little chap, 
of whom any parent could be proud. 

It began to tell on the two boys after a while, 
but still they stubbornly refused to let Amos or 
Perk take a hand. 

“ You’re doing your part, Amos, walking be- 


228 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

side the litter, and keeping your father’s mind 
taken up with all those splendid things,” said 
Elmer; “because I know we must joggle him some¬ 
times, and every little jolt hurts a sprained ankle. 
We are getting along all right; and the cabin is 
close by now . 9 9 

“I glimpsed the river through the trees just a 
minute back, anyhow,” asserted Wee Willie, 
sturdily. 

Amos looked at each in turn affectionately, Perk 
could see—Perk, who kept hovering alongside the 
tall chum, hinting again and again that he con¬ 
sidered it “mean if they didn’t intend to let him 
take a turn too.” 

“One thing sure, Amos,” said Mr. Codling, 
warmly; “you’re highly favored in your pals, for 
they’re the greatest lot of boys I ever ran across!” 


CHAPTER XXV 


BACK AT THE CABIN AGAIN 

“Elmer, you’re sure a wizard when it comes 
to finding your way through the tall timber!” 
cried Perk, presently; “because there’s our jolly 
old cabin dead ahead. Why, you came as straight 
as a bee could fly to its hive, after loading up with 
honey.” 

“Nothing easier, once you get the hang of it,” 
laughed Elmer, pleased nevertheless because he 
had hit it so accurately; while Wee Willie also 
grinned, as though he considered that he also had 
occasion to pat himself on the back, seeing that 
he had fully agreed with Elmer’s deductions in 
the start. 

All of them were delighted to see the cabin 
again. It may previously have appeared old and 
dilapidated in their eyes, but just now they for¬ 
got all that. 

“Me to get a fire going,” roared Wee Willie, 
after Mr. Codling had been carried carefully into 
the shelter, and placed on one of the rude “spring¬ 
less beds,” as Perk called the blankets on the 


230 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

floor, under each of which some hemlock browse 
had been placed so as to make things a bit more 
comfortable. 

“What shall we have for our noonday repast, 
at eleven in the morning !” demanded Perk, al¬ 
most beside himself with hunger. 

“Better piece off with something that’s ready,” 
advised wise Elmer; “it would take too long to 
cook things, in our near-famished state, though of 
course a fire is necessary,” 

“You just bet it is,” said Wee Willie, already 
bustling about outdoors in gathering the “fixings” 
for a blaze. “I’m nearly dead for a cup of 
coffee.” 

“It will sure taste like nectar to all of us,” 
agreed Perk. “Well, if the rest of you say so, 
we’ll postpone the big meal till later on. Guess 
we’ll find plenty of stuff handy so as to take the 
edge off our ferocious appetites; and that’ll give 
me a chance to lay out a spread so as to make you 
sit up and take notice this evening.” 

They were soon as busy as beavers, hastening 
back and forth, while the injured man lay there 
and followed each one with his eyes. Whenever 
Amos came near how his gaze would fasten hun¬ 
grily on the boy! It was as if Mr. Codling almost 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


231 


feared this might all be on a par with some of the 
dreams he had had during his long exile from 
home; and that he would suddenly wake up, to find 
himself back under the old distressing conditions. 

Presently the delightful fumes of boiling coffee 
filled the air, and every one commenced sniffing 
eagerly, as though this excited them almost be¬ 
yond restraint. 

“All ready here!” sang out Perk, in his cheery 
fashion; “gather round the festive board, and get 
busy!” 

Amos would not dream of eating a bite until 
he had fetched his father’s breakfast to him. It 
gave the boy unlimited happiness to be able to 
wait on the one whose homecoming he knew would 
make his mother feel so joyous. 

Presently all of them admitted they were a hun¬ 
dred per cent better off than before; that “tired 
feeling” had vanished under the magical influence 
of the Java; and the sandwiches which Perk made 
from bread and butter, some cheese, and bits of 
ham which had been left over at their last regular 
meal. Then there were crackers of several sorts, 
which could be used to “fill up the chinks ’ 9 as Perk 
put it; so that in the end every one confessed that 
it was impossible for him to eat another bite. 


232 THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

Mr. Codling continued to smile at times in that 
queer way. 

4 ‘Guess he won’t be able to hold it in much 
longer,” Elmer told himself, “whatever it can 
be. Twice now I’ve seen him open his mouth as 
if to speak, and then shut it again, with a little 
shake of the head. But it’s bound to come out, 
and I reckon he means to give Amos a little sur¬ 
prise. ’ ’ 

None of them felt much like doing anything of 
importance that afternoon, for they had had so 
little sleep during the preceding night that they 
were tired and heavy-eyed. 

Perk, yielding to his special hobby, did go over 
to a certain spot on the river bank, and fish for an 
hour or so during the afternoon; with such good 
luck that they were assured of a fine mess of perch 
and bass for supper. He set to work cleaning his 
catch, an operation which Wee Willie did not at¬ 
tempt to interrupt. That was always a nice thing 
about Wee Willie; when he saw that any one felt 
really happy in doing a job for which he himself 
had no great hankering, he would never attempt 
to ask a division of the labor. And so Perk not 
only caught his fish, but made them ready for the 
pan, and would in probability also do the cooking 


233 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

in the bargain. There never was a more good- 
natured and willing chum than Perk, as Wee 
Willie often told himself, with one of his grins; 
and it is also to be hoped he fully appreciated 
those winning qualities in the stout youth. 

The supper was a grand success. 

Perk “blew” himself for the occasion, as he 
called it, and really prepared enough for two- 
thirds of a dozen instead of just five mouths. 

“Huh! you never can tell in these queer times 
when you’re going to have company drop in on 
you,” he remonstrated, when Elmer mildly ex¬ 
pressed his surprise at the enormous amount that 
came to their rough-and-ready table. “Only last 
night you entertained one stranger at your fire; 
while I had Mr. Codling pop in on me unexpected 
like. Then remember how those two guards from 
the asylum came tapping, tapping at our cabin 
door the first night we were here! So I believe in 
preparedness. An ounce of prevention is worth 
more hi a pound of cure. If anybody should step 
in, all we’ve got to do is to say ‘sit down, and fill 
up, friends!’ ” 

Nevertheless when the meal was through it was 
really surprising how little had been left; for 
their appetites seemed capable of stretching in a 


234 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

remarkable way, and Wee Willie acted as though 
he could never reach his limit. 

“I declare,” he confessed, after a fourth help¬ 
ing to the stew Perk had concocted from canned 
beef, succotash, and some cold potatoes, “I’m be¬ 
ginning to suspect my legs must be hollow all the 
way down, because how else could I stow away 
what I’ve devoured?” 

And after that, of course, Wee Willie might 
expect to have a deal of fun poked at him in con¬ 
nection with his queer anatomy. 

They ate supper inside the cabin, so as to be 
near Mr. Codling; though of course such old 
campers as Wee Willie and Elmer, perhaps Perk 
in the bargain, would have preferred sitting out¬ 
doors, so long as the weather was fine, and the 
“skeeters” not too vicious. 

At last, the tin dishes and cups had all been 
washed up in thorough fashion, Elmer and Wee 
Willie insisting on doing that unpleasant part of 
the dining program; though Perk protested that 
he always did like to 4 4 splash things around, ’ ’ and 
had even fetched a new dish-mop along to try 
out; but they elbowed him aside unceremoniously, 
the tall chum saying commandingly: 

‘ ‘ Here, you clear out, Perk! Think we ’re going 


235 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 

to let you have a monopoly of this business? 
Guess the rest of us want to keep our hands in, 
don’t we? You’ll he boasting, when we get home, 
you just ran the whole camp; and we don’t want 
to get the laugh on us. Now forget it, and talk 
with Mr. Codling. You know all his folks down 
home, and can tell him Amos doesn’t overshoot 
the mark when he says little Peter is a darling, 
ditto—Louise, and—yes, Kitty in the bargain.” 

At that Amos had to smile, because the said 
Kitty was a big girl for her years, and Wee Willie 
had been known to fetch her flowers, even a box 
of candy on one occasion, when she passed her 
twelfth birthday; he also had a tacit understand¬ 
ing with Kitty to “beau” her to the first barn 
dance the next Winter, if her mother considered 
her old enough to attend such jolly gatherings. 

Mr. Codling waited until they were all gathered 
together later on, with the “chores” completed, 
and the decks cleared. Then he spoke up, just as 
Elmer had been anticipating would be the case. 

“I’ve got something to say to you, Amos,” he 
remarked first of all; and though his voice trem¬ 
bled, Elmer made sure that it was only through 
joy, and not because there was any further cause 
for lingering regrets. 


236 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


“All right, father,” the boy immediately said, 
coming to the side of the speaker, and bending 
over; “I’m ready to tell you anything you want 
to know, so don’t hold back. I haven’t got a thing 
to keep from you, remember.” 

“But this is something that concerns me, first 
of all, my boy,” continued the other. “Listen 
then. You know I vowed never to come back un¬ 
less I found myself able to take up that terrible 
debt of mine, and face the world again as an hon¬ 
est man. Yes, and I told you how twice I slipped 
back after I believed myself on the road to 
fortune. Well, three turned out to be the magical 
number with me, Amos; in Alaska I struck rich 
pay dirt, and I’ve come back with all the money 
we shall ever need again in this world!” 


CHAPTER XXVI 


LOOKING FORWARD-CONCLUSION 

No one said a word for a full minute, though 
Wee Willie and Elmer and big-hearted Perk ex¬ 
changed glowing looks, and happy nods, as if the 
great news pleased them beyond measure. 

Amos, with swimming eyes, bent over, and laid 
a hand on his father’s shoulder. There was sim- 
pie affection in the act, and nothing more. 

“I’m sure glad to hear that, father,” he said as 
well as he could; “for it’ll make you a whole lot 
better satisfied; but you’d be just as welcome 
home if you didn’t have a nickel.” 

“That’s the best part of it,” observed Mr. 
Codling, “and what makes me so satisfied with 
the wonderful way things have turned out. But 
I worked, and prayed, and in the end hit it rich, 
so that when I sold out my claim in the new dig- 
gings I had a sum that was more than I ever ex¬ 
pected to realize, even in my wildest dreams. ’ ’ 

Taken in all, that was a most happy evening for 
them. How the sound of those fresh young voices 
as they sang their favorite songs made Mr. 

237 


238 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


Codling shut his eyes and dream of past days, 
when he took Amanda Green to singing-school 
evenings. Again he could in imagination hear 
her sweet voice in carols of the times, as the 
scroll of the past was unrolled before his mental 
vision. 

“By all odds this has been the happiest evening 
I ever spent, barring none,” he assured Elmer 
when, later on, they gave up singing and began 
to make arrangements for sleeping. “In other 
days I never realized my blessings half enough; 
but now that I’ve passed through the valley of 
humiliation things look vastly different to me. 
Thank you again for the pleasure it has given me 
to hear you sing. And I’m very glad my boy has 
such a promising voice, because music used to be 
my one passion—in those other days, you know.” 

They were shy one blanket, now that they had 
a guest. Mr. Codling understood how he had 
been given Elmer’s spread, and started to protest; 
but he was speedily “sat down upon,” as Wee 
Willie expressed it in his boyish vernacular. 

“Elmer’s going to share my blanket, don’t you 
see, sir?” the attenuated chum blustered, before 
his mate could say a word. “I’m so thin I don’t 
take up half the room Perk here does. Besides, 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


239 


it’s summer weather, and shucks! any fellows as 
used to camping out as we are don’t need to bother 
much about coverings; this hemlock stuff is good 
enough for me.” 

So it was arranged, and during the balance of 
their stay at Long Cabin Bend Elmer and Wee 
Willie expected to share the latter ’s blanket, which 
fortunately enough was of unusually generous 
proportions. 

During the night, after the late moon arose, 
and it was partly light inside the cabin, Elmer, 
waking, saw Amos sitting up and looking steadily 
toward the spot where his father lay. He could 
easily understand the deep emotion that must 
possess the boy, as after a vivid dream he was 
hardly able to bring himself to believe the won¬ 
derful thing could be true. 

So the night passed, and another day dawned. 

All were stirring early, for they had laid out 
many things to be accomplished between sunrise 
and the coming of night. 

While Perk “wrestled” with breakfast, beam¬ 
ing with delight because he actually loved to cook, 
Elmer took another look at Mr. Codling’s ankle, 
Amos hoveling near, eager to be of any service. 

“It’s doing as well as can be expected,” was 


240 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 


the comment of Elmer. “ These things are never 
over with in a hurry; it takes time, and a lot of 
patience to recover from a sprain. If I was down 
home I could help things along some by rubbing 
a certain liniment on, that’s the boss thing for 
sprains. But you’ll have to make up your mind 
to keep quiet up here, sir.” 

“I suppose so, Elmer,” said the patient, with a 
sigh, “and I oughtn’t to have a word of com¬ 
plaint. In fact, I’m too happy after having heard 
the good news from Amos that my little family is 
well, to think of grumbling. The whole thing 
seems almost like a page taken from a book—my 
making up my mind to play the part of a tramp 
as I drew closer to my old home, partly because I 
was afraid of discovering that something dread¬ 
ful had happened to my dear ones; and also be¬ 
cause I did not know but that there might be a 
warrant out for my apprehension, which troubled 
me more or less. 

“Then came the storm, and my misfortune, 
which I thought terrible; yet it brought me in 
touch with Perk here, and finally the rest of you. 
Oh! if only I had dreamed that Amos was one of 
your number, while I hung around the cabin, 
waiting for a chance to recover my lost knife, how 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


241 


gladly would I have made my identity known. 
But, after all, it’s come out ten times better than 
I ever hoped for; and I’d be an ingrate to com¬ 
plain. ’’ 

However eager he may have felt to be heading 
toward Chester, where those dear ones lived from 
whom he had been separated so long, Mr. Codling 
grimly resolved not to let Elmer and his chums 
see his distress of mind. He felt that it would be 
a shame to cause these fine lads to cut their camp¬ 
ing trip in the tall timber short on his account. 

But Elmer was revolving a scheme over in his 
mind, which he confided to Wee Willie on the sly; 
and the latter as usual declared that it “ filled the 
bill to a dot.” 

Without letting the others know what he was 
doing the tall chum busied himself that very after¬ 
noon, away from the camp, making his stretcher, 
on which the injured man could be carried out of 
the woods. Elmer proposed that they leave their 
things in the cabin, manage on the following day 
to get to some farm-house on the Crawford Notch 
road, and either make an arrangement with the 
owner to take Mr. Codling to town in a rig, or else 
’phone for a car to come up and get him. 

Of course, the devoted Amos could not dream 


242 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

of being absent when the wanderer arrived, and 
so he would accompany his father, to enjoy the 
wild delight that was sure to overwhelm the Cod¬ 
ling home. 

He could return in a day or two, if his yearning 
for taking flashlight pictures still gripped him, 
which Elmer believed would be the case; and so 
spend the balance of their vacation with his 
chums. 

4 ‘It’s ten whole days till school takes up, you 
know,” Wee Willie had remarked, when he and 
Elmer talked this over. “Plenty of time for us 
to have all sorts of bully adventures. And if we 
think it a good plan, while we’re down at that 
farmer’s place to-morrow, what’s to hinder our 
laying in a fresh stock of grub ? ’ ’ 

44 Not a thing, that I can see,” agreed his com¬ 
rade, nodding his head. 

4 4 Some of these farmers have heaps of good 
things laid away for winter,” proceeded Wee Wil¬ 
lie, who was hungry, it may be assumed, at that 
very minute; 44 so, as long as we’ve got the hard 
cash still in our treasury, after selling our stock 
of ginseng roots to that firm in St. Louis we might 
as well do things up brown. We can fetch back a 
lot of fresh eggs, mebbe a home-cured ham, several 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


243 


live chickens for feast days, and if he’s got any 
honey Perk’d be almost tickled to death to have 
it to go with his flapjacks; because, mebbe we’ll 
never have any luck locating a bee-tree while up 
here.” 

All of which goes to prove what every one 
knows to be a fact, that with the vast majority of 
boys the best part of camping consists of the 
“eats.” But in that respect boys do not differ 
greatly from those much more mature in years, 
since the natural man comes to the surface as soon 
as the primeval wilderness takes the place of civ¬ 
ilized comforts. 

When that night the subject was broached, 
Amos showed his sincere appreciation for his 
chums ’ consideration. 

“This is mighty fine of you, boys,” he mum¬ 
bled, thickly, at the same time looking so very 
happy; “and you can bank on it I’ll hurry back 
here to stay the balance of our vacation—after 
I’ve seen father safe home, and just hung around 
a day or so to enjoy the situation.” 

Mr. Codling tried weakly to protest, saying 
that he was already giving them too much trou¬ 
ble ; and that another day lost would cut into the 


244 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

glorious time tliey had been anticipating; but they 
would not let him proceed., 

‘‘It’s all fixed up, sir, so our plans can’t be 
changed now,” Wee Willie assured him. “I’ve 
been making my stretcher on the sly, and I ’ll show 
it to you after a bit. Besides, the sooner we get 
you down home the better for everybody. We 
can understand how wild Amos here is to have his 
mother know the good news, and if we can manage 
it, you’ll both be there by this time to-morrow 
night. ’ ’ 

The many things the boys had planned to do 
while in camp could wait until their duty to Mr. 
Codling and their chum had been fulfilled. Amos, 
of course, would insist on leaving his camera and 
flashlight apparatus behind when he took his 
father home. In this way he would be drawn to 
rejoin them later, so as to pursue those novel and 
interesting studies of shy wild animal life which 
seemed to be taking such a firm hold upon him 
latterly. 

This program was carried out to the letter, for 
as luck would have it the weather proved favor¬ 
able on the following morning. They closed the 
cabin again, and all started forth. Mr. Codling 
found the litter much more comfortable than the 



Mr. Codling found the litter much more comfortable. 


AT LOG CABIN BEND 


247 


rough-and-ready one upon which he had made the 
trip from the big hollow tree at Perk’s woodland 
camp, to the cabin. 

By taking things easy, and changing stretcher- 
bearers frequently, as one or the other showed 
signs of tiring out, they managed to reach the 
road, and later on a farm-house where the owner 
agreed to use his own old car to take Amos and 
his injured parent to Chester. 

The last Elmer, Wee Willie and Perk saw of 
them they were waving their hands wildly from 
the “tin Lizzie” as the car started noisily down 
the road leading to Chester, some twenty-three 
miles distant, by way of Crawford Notch. 

“Well,” said Perk, after they started back to 
the cabin, carrying the supplies purchased from 
the farmer on the stretcher, “that winds up one 
of the most thrilling happenings that ever came 
our way. As long as I live I ’ll never forget how 
I fetched him to my fire, and then discovered that 
it was Amos’s long missing dad. But it’s all right 
now, boys.” 

“Yes,” chimed in Wee Willie, merrily, “every¬ 
thing is lovely and the goose hangs high. Just to 
think of it, how bully things turned out, with him 
fetching back a regular fortune with him, or 


248 


THE CAMP FIRE BOYS 

papers to show he’s got it in bank up there in 
Alaska, which means the same thing.” 

11 Beats any movie picture I ever stared at with 
goggle-eyes,’ ’ Perk went on to confess, with his 
customary frankness; and then gave a sigh, add¬ 
ing: “but it’s all over now, and I reckon the rest 
of our stay up here will be just along the usual 
humdrum lines of camping. Still, we have to eat, 
so I’ll have my chance for getting up new and 
novel dishes to try on the dog. ’ ’ 

The others only laughed to hear him talk; for 
they knew Perk too well to feel offended at any¬ 
thing he said. But, indeed, Perk need not have 
feared a humdrum existence, if only he could have 
lifted the curtain of the immediate future. 

And if the reader feels any curiosity to learn 
about how Wee Willie startled his camp-mates 
with a mutiny; as well as the strange series of 
thrilling events that made their further stay in 
the wilderness something never to be forgotten, 
all this and much more will be found detailed at 
length in the volume that follows this, under the 
suggestive title of “The Camp Fire Boys in Mush- 
rat Swamp; or, A Hunt for the Missing ’Plane 
Pilot.” 


The Yank Brown Series 

By DAVID STONE 

Cloth, large 12 mo. Illustrated. 


When Yank Brown comes 
to Belmont College as a 
callow Freshman, there is 
a whole lot that he doesn’t 
know about college life, 
such as class rushes, rival¬ 
ries, fraternities, and what 
a lowly Freshman must 
not do. But he does know 
something about how to 
play football, and he is a 
big, likeable chap who 
speedily makes friends. 

In the first story of this 
series we watch Yank buck the line as a Half¬ 
back. In the second story he goes in for basket¬ 
ball, among many other activities of a busy col- 
lege year. Then there are other stories to fol¬ 
low—each brimful of action and interest. This 
is one of the best college series we have seen in 
a long while. 

YANK BROWN, HALFBACK 

YANK BROWN, FORWARD 

YANK BROWN, CROSS-COUNTRY 
RUNNER 


BARSE & HOPKINS 

NEWARK NEW YORK 

N. J. N. Y. 



(Other volumes in preparation.) 

















THE BOBBY BLAKE SERIES 

BY FRANK A. WARNER 

BOOKS FOR BOYS 

From eight to twelve years old 


•unii BOBBY BLAKE 

Ml ROCKLEDGE SCHOOL 



FRANK A.WARNER 


True stories of life at a modern 
American boarding school. Bobby 
attends this institution of learning 
with his particular chum and the 
boys have no end of good times. 
The tales of outdoor life, espe¬ 
cially the exciting times they have 
when engaged in sports against 
rival schools, are written in a 
manner so true, so realistic, that 
the reader, too, is bound to share 
with these boys their thrills and 
pleasures. 


1 BOBBY BLAKE AT ROCKLEDGE SCHOOL. 

2 BOBBY BLAKE AT BASS COVE. 

3 BOBBY BLAKE ON A CRUISE. 

4 BOBBY BLAKE AND HIS SCHOOL CHUMS. 

5 BOBBY BLAKE AT SNOWTOP CAMP. 

6 BOBBY BLAKE ON THE SCHOOL NINE. 

7 BOBBY BLAKE ON A RANCH. 

8 BOBBY BLAKE ON AN AUTO TOUR. 

9 BOBBY BLAKE ON THE SCHOOL ELEVEN, 
io BOBBY BLAKE ON A PLANTATION. 

BARSE & HOPKINS 


New York, N. Y, 


Newark, N. J. 




THE GO AHEAD BOYS 

BY ROSS KAY. 


1 leave this rule for others when I’m dead: 

Be always sure you’re right—THEN GO AHEAD. 

—Davy Crockett’s Motto . 



The love of adventure is inborn in all 
normal boys. Action is almost a supreme 
demand in all the stories they read with 
most pleasure. Here is presented a series 
of rattling good adventure stories which 
every live “go ahead” boy will read with 
unflagging interest. There is action, dash 
and snap in every tale yet the tone is health¬ 
ful and there is an underlying vein of re¬ 
sourcefulness and strength that is worth 
while. 


1 THE GO AHEAD BOYS ON SMUGGLERS’ ISLAND. 

2 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE TREASURE CAVE. 

3 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE MYSTERIOUS 

OLD HOUSE. 

4 THE GO AHEAD BOYS IN THE ISLAND CAMP. 

5 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE RACING MOTOR 

BOAT. 

6 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND SIMON’S MINE. 

(Other volumes in preparation) 

Cloth, Large 12mo., Illustrated. 


Newark, N. J. 


BARSE & HOPKINS 

PUBLISHERS 


New York, N. Y. 





“As Popular as the Game Itself” 


THE BIG LEAGUE SERIES 

(Trade Mark Registered ) 

BY BURT L. STANDISH. 


Endorsed by such stars of baseballdom 
as Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb and Walter 
Johnson. 

An American boy with plenty of grit— 
baseball at its finest—and the girl in the case 
—these are the elements which compose 
the most successful of juvenile fiction. You 
don’t have to be a “fan” to enjoy these 
books; all you need to be is really human 
and alive with plenty of red blood in your 
veins. 

The author managed a “Bush League” team a number of 
years ago and is thoroughly familiar with the actions of 
baseball players on and off the field. Every American, young 
or old, who has enjoyed the thrills and excitement of our 
national game, is sure to read with delight these splendid 
stories of baseball and romance. 

1 LEFTY (V THE BUSH. 

2 LEFTY O* THE BIG LEAGUE. 

3 LEFTY O’ THE BLUE STOCKINGS. 

4 LEFTY O' THE TRAINING CAMP. 

5 BRICK KING, BACKSTOP. 

6 THE MAKING OF A BIG LEAGUER. 

7 COURTNEY OF THE CENTER GARDEN. 

8 COVERING THE LOOK-IN CORNER. 

9 LEFTY LOCKE, PITCHER-MANAGER. 
io GUARDING THE KEYSTONE SACK. 

I ii THE MAN ON FIRST. 

Cloth, Large 12mo., Illustrated, 


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LEFTY 

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OtheBUSH 

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BUKTl SKNDEH 


Newark, N. J. 


BARSE & HOPKINS 

PUBLISHERS 


New York, N.Y. 





THE BOY SCOUT LIFE SERIES 


Published with the approval of 
The Boy Scouts of America 



approval of the 
of America. 


In the boys’ world of story books, none 
better than those about boy scouts arrest 
and grip attention. In a most alluring way, 
the stories in the BOY SCOUT LIFE 
SERIES tell of the glorious good times and 
wonderful adventures of boy scouts. 

All the books were written by authors 
possessed of an intimate knowledge of this 
greatest of all movements organized for the 
welfare of boys, and are published with the 
National Headquarters of the Boy Scouts 


The Chief Scout Librarian, Mr. F. K. Mathiews, writes 
concerning them: “It is a bully bunch of books. I hope 
you will sell 100,000 copies of each one, for these stories are 
the sort that help instead of hurt our movement.” 


THE BOY SCOUT FIRE FIGHTERS — CRUMP 
THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE TROOP — 
McLANE 

THE BOY SCOUT TRAIL BLAZERS — CHELEY 

THE BOY SCOUT TREASURE HUNTERS — LERRIGO 

BOY SCOUTS AFLOAT — WALDEN 

BOY SCOUTS COURAGEOUS — MATHIEWS 

BOY SCOUTS TO THE RESCUE — LERRIGO 

BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL —GARTH 


Newark, N. J. 


BARSE 6 s HOPKINS 

PUBLISHERS 


New York, N. Y, 



































THE TOMLINSON SERIES 

BY EVERETT T. TOMLINSON. 



Interest in school life is perpetual. The 
young student, facing new surroundings, 
finds an element of romance and strong ap¬ 
peal; and to the older graduate college days 
recall some of the most pleasant memories 
of the past. 

Here are stories of school life and ath¬ 
letics, full of action and human interest. 
They deal with problems of life common 
to students and inspire the manly attributes 
of self-reliance and strength of character. 


THE PENNANT. 

CAPTAIN DAN RICHARDS. 
CARL HALL OF TAIT. 

JACK STONE OF TAIT SCHOOL. 

(Other volumes in preparation) 

Cloth, Large 12mo.. Illustrated. 


Newark, N. J. 


BARSE & HOPKINS 

PUBLISHERS 


New York, N. Y. 






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